Livelihoods Specialist

**Livelihoods Specialist**

**Based in Paris, France or Toronto, Canada**

**Full time position, local contract**

**Starting date: ASAP 2025**

**PUR Description**

PUR is a global, impact-focused B-Corp specializing in the development of environmental restoration projects, known as ‘nature-based solutions' (NbS). Since 2008, we have been helping the world’s largest organizations meet their ESG targets, reduce their environmental footprint, and regenerate the ecosystems they depend on across complex supply chains. Having developed over 45 projects in more than 30 countries, PUR is recognized as both a pioneer and leader in a sector that is now at the forefront of global efforts to address the ongoing climate and biodiversity crisis.

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to fostering and operationalizing insetting strategies—interventions by companies within their own value chains designed to reduce GHG emissions while creating positive impacts for communities, landscapes, and ecosystems. By championing this insetting approach, we aim to create a holistic range of benefits that extend beyond ecological restoration, encompassing social and economic dimensions through enhanced agricultural yields and resilience to climate change-induced stresses, among others.

One of the distinctive features of our work is our ability to tailor projects to the specific needs of different regions and communities. By recognizing the unique characteristics of each ecosystem and the cultural context of the communities involved, we ensure our initiatives are contextually relevant and have a meaningful and sustainable impact. All our projects are developed in close collaboration with local actors, including cooperatives, NGOs, governments, and corporations.Today, we employ 200 staff across 16 countries with key offices in Paris (HQ) and Toronto.

**Industry**

PUR operates within the dynamic and rapidly evolving sector of environmental consultancy services and nature-based solutions markets. These markets are closely linked with the voluntary carbon markets (VCM) when NbS projects produce carbon credits that can be traded on the VCM. The NbS market has recently gained traction as society recognizes the invaluable services provided by nature and the need to preserve, restore, and harness these services to mitigate and adapt to environmental challenges. To be considered a nature-based solution, projects must effectively address real societal challenges and offer strong environmental, economic, and social benefits for local communities.

Market KPIs:

- If combined with deep decarbonization efforts, NbS projects could provide up to 30% of the mitigation needed to limit global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels by 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2023).
- NbS project credits make up the largest volumes of carbon credits available in the VCM and continue to attract the most investment, with $9 billion invested between 2020 and 2022 (Sylvera, 2023).
- In 2021, the VCM was estimated to be worth $2 billion, four times its 2020 value. By 2030, the market is expected to reach $10 to $40 billion (BCG, 2022).
- 5,307 companies have set science-based targets—a 4.2x increase since 2022—and are a significant driver of demand within the NbS and VCM markets (SBTi, 2024).
- To meet their SBTi targets and mitigate their climate-risk exposure, organizations around the world will need to invest in the type of projects PUR develops. Today, very few market players have a proven track record in NbS project implementation, and PUR is therefore well-positioned to benefit from the market’s expansion.

PUR is seeking a Livelihoods specialist with experience and expertise in the design, development, and monitoring of livelihoods, carbon permanence strategies and farm economic impacts within projects in agricultural landscapes. You will be asked to lead the evolution of PUR’s livelihood offer by working closely with international technical teams and manage complex topics related to project design, stakeholder engagement, risk management, relevant industry frameworks and impact monitoring.

You will report to the Head of Carbon based in Europe.

The main responsibilities in a non-exhaustive manner of this ambitious role will be:
**Product Development, Piloting and Management**
- Lead the refinement of the (carbon) Permanence Strategy in coordination with the Operations team; including its framing, socialisation with corporate clients and execution with project managers; provide suggested modifications based on specifics of project objectives and geographic location (tropical versus temperate region);
- Lead the review of current financial incentives (short term and long term) and work with the operations team to revise payments based on updated methodology and data; support the tracking of payments and coordination with potential partners/ digital service providers;
- Lead the socialisation of PUR’s Carbon Equity Offer (benefit sharing scheme), revi