ESTIMATING GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS AND REMOVALS

CONSULTANCY FOR ESTIMATING GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS AND REMOVALS FROM SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN ANDHRA PRADESH AND KARNATAKA

· Department: Programme/ GEF India ILM project

· Location(s): Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, India

· Commitment: 6 months

· Desired start date and duration: 01 July 2025

· Under the supervision of: Senior Project Manager

This ToR pertains to the RA-led GEF UNEP ILM India project “Transforming agricultural systems and strengthening local economies in high biodiversity areas of India through sustainable landscape management and public-private finance”.

Background

The project aims to combat land degradation and biodiversity loss by promoting sustainable agricultural production systems, participatory land use management, and responsible supply chains in AP and KA. In Karnataka, the Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Agriculture Standard (RA-SAS) is the foundation for SLM, while in Andhra Pradesh, it is the Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) model. Both are intended to regenerate soil health, increase biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration.

Understanding the climate impact of these SLM interventions is critical for assessing the project’s contributions to India's climate goals and global sustainability commitments. Therefore, a robust estimation of GHG emissions and removals associated with the project interventions is required.

Objectives

The Rainforest Alliance is seeking a highly experienced and professional GHG expert to estimate GHG emissions within the project landscapes. Key objectives of the position include:

1. Quantify baseline and landscape-level GHG emissions and removals for land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) as well as agricultural practices in project areas.

2. Evaluate GHG mitigation potential of RA-SAS and APCNF interventions across key land use types (e.g., cropland, agroforestry, fallow, and pasture).

3. Provide recommendations for strengthening climate co-benefits in project design and monitoring frameworks.

Key responsibility/ Scope of Service:

The consultant/team will:

1. Review project documents, including, but not limited to historical files, websites, maps, data related to land use, farming, economics, etc. to understand land use, cropping patterns, and management practices in both states.

2. Design a sampling framework to represent the landscape-scale interventions under RA-SAS and APCNF.

3. Collect or compile relevant activity data, including but not limited to:

• Land use and land cover changes

• Crop types and yields

• Fertilizer and pesticide usage

• Tillage and irrigation practices

• Organic matter inputs and mulching

• Agroforestry practices

4. Estimate GHG emissions/removals using internationally accepted methods (e.g., IPCC Guidelines, Cool Farm Tool, EX-ACT, COMET-Farm, etc.) and identify appropriate emission factors.

5. Disaggregate findings by practice, state, and farm typology (smallholder, rainfed, irrigated).

6. Prepare a GHG Inventory Report, including baseline and projected scenarios (over 5- and 10-year horizons).

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in climate science, environmental science, agriculture, or related fields.

• Prior experience on carbon markets is desirable.

• Proven experience of 10 years in GHG accounting in land use and agriculture sectors.

• Familiarity with IPCC Tier 1/2 methods and GHG estimation tools (e.g., EX-ACT, CFT, etc.). Tier 2 will be a priority.

• Experience working with Indian agricultural systems, especially organic/natural farming and agroforestry.

• Ability to analyze spatial datasets (GIS/remote sensing) and carbon modeling experience will be essential.

Deliverables and Expectations:

The consultant is expected to provide:

• Inception Report (including methodology, work plan, and data needs) – within 2 weeks of contract signing.

• Periodic bi-weekly meetings during the contracted period to update and take feedback/ input on the progress.

• GHG Assessment Framework and Tool Selection – within 1 month.

• Draft GHG Inventory Report with baseline and intervention scenarios – within 3 months.

• Validation Workshop with key stakeholders – within 4 months.

• Final GHG Inventory Report with recommendations and training materials – within 6 months.

• Maps with 10 to 30 meter spatial resolution using Sentinel-2 and/or Landsat 8/9 imagery to accurately capture land use and land cover changes at the farm and landscape levels.

• The GHG assessment should include five scenarios: i) baseline scenario, ii) a 5-year projection without the project, and iii) a 5-year projection with the project to evaluate both immediate and long-term impacts of sustainable land management practices

  
  

Donor Requirements:

- Deadline to apply: Apply within 7 days of publication of the advertisement.

Thank you for your interest in working with The Rainforest Alliance.