| Description |
With the conclusion of the Paris Conference on Climate Change, the global spotlight now shifts, among other places, to Montreal, the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body constituted to develop standards for the international civil aviation sector. ICAO has resolved to finalize, by its 39th Assembly in September-October 2016, a global market-based measure (MBM) to cap and cut international aviation’s carbon pollution. The International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation (ICSA), a network of non-governmental, non-profit advocacy organizations1 with millions of members concerned with the environmental impacts of air travel, is seeking a senior representative to support ICSA’s work toward a strong outcome at the 2016 Assembly. ICSA is the only environmental civil society organization accredited as an observer in ICAO. The representative will be part of a team aiming to obtain the world’s first-ever cap on the emissions of an entire global sector. If the effort succeeds, development of MBM rules, implementation, and evaluation may continue, with further need for ICSA representation in Montreal, contingent on available funding.
Role
ICSA seeks a dynamic and talented, highly professional individual to serve as ICSA’s first on-the-ground representative in Montreal. The individual will work strategically, using his/her cultural expertise and technical fluency in international civil aviation to strengthen existing relationships with members of the ICAO Council and Secretariat and other stakeholders and develop new ones, gather perspectives on complex issues, and effectively communicate and advance ICSA’s vision and policy priorities for the global market-based measure (MBM). The ICSA representative will assist ICSA members in identifying new opportunities to pursue, and pitfalls to avoid, in the effort to reach a strong, high-environmental-integrity outcome at ICAO’s September-October 2016 Assembly. The ICSA representative will build ICSA’s profile at ICAO headquarters as both a leader in the field and an important partner with governments, industry, airports, trade unions, and other key stakeholders.
Key responsibilities:
- Enhance ICSA’s effectiveness by demonstrating ICSA’s willingness to engage extensively in the development, finalization, adoption, effective implementation, and monitoring of the MBM.
- Establish new relationships, and strengthen existing relationships, with relevant Montreal-based policy makers and other stakeholders from a wide diversity of national and cultural backgrounds.
- Closely monitor MBM policy developments and report back to ICSA members.
- Working from the ICSA 2015 “Litmus Test” (see http://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/icsa-mbm-litmus-test_september2015.pdf), support outreach on ICSA positions.
Qualifications
- Sound knowledge of aviation policy, and demonstrated commitment to environmental protection. Previous advocacy experience in the aviation sector desirable;
- Excellent listener, excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluent spoken and written English essential. Other languages considered an advantage;
- Demonstrated ability to succeed in a multi-cultural context. A thoughtful, persuasive negotiator; open and responsive to the ideas of others; experience with coalition building and working in alliances an advantage;
- Enthusiastic personality with cultural sensitivity; independent worker; good coordination skills.
Availability
The ideal candidate will be available as soon as possible, ideally in January 2016. Working time and type of contract is flexible and can be negotiated. Interested candidates should send a CV, writing sample, references and cover letter, by 19 January 2016, to icsa.montreal@gmail.com. Due to the volume of applications, ICSA may not be able to respond to each individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate.
1 ICSA’s members include Aviation Environment Federation, Carbon Market Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, the International Council on Clean Transportation, Transport and Environment, and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)
|
