Executive Consultant – Carbon Markets, ESG & Decarbonisation Advisory

Job Title: Executive Consultant – Carbon Markets, ESG & Decarbonisation Advisory
Job Code: 20260711Technical12
Company: VPA India | www.decarbonisation.expert
Location: Vadodara, Gujarat, India (In-Person & Flexible)
Job Location Type: In person and flexible/hybrid, with work-from-home option for suitable tasks
Job Type: Full-time / Part-time / Contract / Temporary / Freelance / Internship / Student Job
Expected Hours: 14–42 hours per week
Engagement Duration: Permanent/ongoing association for suitable candidates; fixed-term or project-based arrangements may apply depending on the engagement type and business requirements
Probation / Initial Assessment Period: Up to 6 months, where applicable
Education Requirement: Engineering or Technology background only
Preferred Education Streams:
Primary: Environmental, Energy, Power, Electrical and Renewable Energy Engineering or Technology
Secondary: Chemical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering or Technology
Other Relevant Disciplines: Forestry, Sustainability, Climate Science, Earth Science, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science or related technical disciplines
Experience: 0–40+ years; responsibilities and remuneration will be aligned with demonstrated capability and engagement type
Reports to: Vijay Patel, CEO

About VPA India

VPA India is a decarbonisation consultancy founded in 1997, with 30 years of expertise in carbon credits, corporate sustainability reporting (BRSR/ESG), GHG accounting, and biodiversity and nature credits. Operating from Vadodara, Gujarat, VPA India serves clients globally across all industry sectors. The firm is led by Vijay Patel, CEO, who holds international academic credentials from Brandenburg Technical University, Germany and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA, and brings prior experience as a Lead Auditor at SGS SA, a designated DOE/VVB for carbon credit validation and verification.

Role Purpose

We are looking for an Executive Consultant to support technical consulting, research, project documentation, proposal preparation, client coordination and execution work across VPA India’s carbon markets, ESG and decarbonisation service verticals.

The candidate will work with the CEO and consulting team on technical and commercial assignments, including proposal preparation, quotation support, feasibility studies, carbon credit documentation, PDD preparation, monitoring report preparation, MRV tables, evidence checklists, client data requests, calculation logic and AI-assisted documentation workflows.

This role is suitable for engineering and technology students, fresh graduates, interns, freelancers, early-career professionals and experienced professionals interested in carbon markets, climate consulting, sustainability and decarbonisation advisory. This is a multi-level role, and assigned responsibilities will be aligned with the candidate’s demonstrated capability and engagement type.

Key Service Verticals and Responsibilities

1. Carbon Credit Project Development

The candidate will support end-to-end carbon credit and carbon offset project development activities, including:

• Project conceptualisation and initial opportunity screening.

• Pre-project analysis and feasibility assessment.

• Project eligibility review under relevant carbon standards and methodologies.

• Methodology mapping for project types such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management, agroforestry, afforestation, biochar, methane avoidance, industrial decarbonisation and other eligible project types.

• Baseline scenario assessment and project scenario documentation.

• Additionality, leakage, permanence, ownership and double-counting risk review.

• Preparation support for Project Design Documents and Project Description Documents (PDDs/PDs).

• Preparation of monitoring plans, MRV structures and parameter tables.

• Preparation of monitoring reports and supporting calculation sheets.

• Compilation of audit evidence for validation and verification.

• Coordination support for assessment of PDDs and monitoring reports by designated operational entities (DOEs), validation/verification bodies (VVBs) or other approved auditors, as applicable.

• Support for registry submission, validation, verification, registration and issuance-readiness documentation.

• Support for carbon credit commercialisation, buyer due diligence, data-room preparation and trading documentation.

2. UNFCCC Article 6.4 / Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM)

The candidate will support UNFCCC Article 6.4 / PACM project development and authorisation-readiness activities, including:

• Preliminary screening of mitigation activities for potential development under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism.

• Assessment of applicable approved methodologies and activity-cycle requirements.

• Preparation support for PDDs, monitoring plans and associated project documentation.

• Baseline scenario, additionality, project-boundary and emission-reduction/removal quantification support.

• Support for sustainable-development assessment, stakeholder consultation and environmental and social safeguard documentation.

• Coordination support with the host Party and Designated National Authority, as applicable.

• Preparation and tracking of host-country approval and Letter of Authorization documentation.

• Assessment of authorised use, first-transfer conditions and corresponding-adjustment implications.

• Coordination support for validation and verification by designated operational entities or other approved validation/verification bodies.

• Support for registration, monitoring, verification, issuance and registry-readiness requirements.

• Preparation of buyer and investor due-diligence information for authorised and non-authorised units, including the commercial implications of corresponding-adjustment status.

3. Voluntary Carbon Market Standards

The candidate will assist in work related to voluntary carbon market standards, including:

• Verra VCS project documentation and methodology research.

• Gold Standard project documentation and SDG-related support.

• ACR, GCC, Isometric and other registry-related research where applicable.

• Carbon credit unit terminology, project-cycle steps and registry documentation requirements.

• Preparation of technical notes comparing registry options, project risks, monitoring requirements and documentation needs.

4. Compliance Carbon Markets

The candidate will support assignments related to compliance and regulated carbon markets, including:

• Indian Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS)-related research and documentation.

• Carbon Credit Certificate-related market and compliance support under the Indian Carbon Market.

• CORSIA-eligible carbon credit project research.

• UNFCCC Article 6.2 cooperative approaches-related documentation support, including research on authorisation, corresponding adjustments and international transfer requirements, as applicable.

• EU ETS, UK ETS and other compliance-market background research where relevant.

• Preparation of client notes, comparison tables and compliance-readiness checklists.

5. Corporate GHG Inventory and Carbon Footprint

The candidate will support corporate greenhouse gas inventory and carbon footprint assignments, including:

• Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 activity-data collection.

• Preparation of client data-request formats and data-gap lists.

• Emission source identification for manufacturing, industrial, commercial and service-sector clients.

• Compilation of fuel, electricity, process, transport, purchased goods, waste and other activity data.

• Support for emission factor research and documentation.

• Preparation of calculation templates, QA/QC checks and summary tables.

• Support for ISO 14064-1, the GHG Protocol and related GHG accounting documentation.

6. Product Carbon Footprint, LCA and CBAM

The candidate will assist in product-level and trade-related carbon assessment assignments, including:

• Product carbon footprint data collection.

• Life cycle assessment support for selected products and processes.

• Material and energy flow mapping.

• Embedded emission data compilation for EU CBAM-related assignments.

• Preparation of product-wise data-request sheets, calculation workbooks and client communication notes.

• Support for sector-specific research for steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, chemicals, hydrogen, electricity and other CBAM-relevant sectors.

7. Secondary ESG, BRSR and Sustainability Support

The candidate may provide secondary support for Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) and corporate sustainability advisory assignments, including:

This is a supporting service area and not the primary focus of the position.

• BRSR data collection support.

• ESG disclosure research and framework mapping.

• Preparation of client questionnaires, data-gap trackers and evidence checklists.

• Support for sustainability report sections related to environment, energy, emissions, water, waste, governance and stakeholder engagement.

• Research support for GRI, SASB, CDP, TCFD, IFRS S1/S2 and other sustainability frameworks.

• Preparation of summary tables, charts and structured notes for client reports.

8. Net Zero, SBTi and Decarbonisation Strategy

The candidate will assist in strategic decarbonisation assignments, including:

• Baseline emission data compilation.

• Emission hotspot analysis support.

• Decarbonisation option mapping for energy, process, fuel, renewable energy and efficiency measures.

• Support for net zero pathway documentation.

• SBTi-related research and target-setting support.

• Preparation of abatement-option tables, implementation trackers and decarbonisation roadmap inputs.

• Support for carbon neutrality and residual-emission offsetting documentation.

9. Biodiversity, Nature Credits and Emerging Climate Markets

The candidate may support emerging advisory work related to:

• Biodiversity and nature credit research.

• Nature-based solution opportunity screening.

• Ecosystem, land-use and conservation-related project research.

• Preparation of concept notes, market briefs and project screening templates.

• Monitoring, reporting and evidence-support formats for nature-related opportunities.

10. Carbon Market Advisory and Commercialisation

The candidate will support commercial and market-facing work, including:

• Development and maintenance of carbon credit buyer, investor, financier and offtaker databases.

• Market segmentation by buyer type, geography, sector, carbon standard, project type, vintage, authorisation status and corresponding-adjustment status.

• Identification of relevant organisations and research on contacts, decision-makers, procurement mandates and investment criteria.

• Preparation of buyer/investor outreach-support materials, project profiles, teasers, portfolio summaries, commercialisation notes and due-diligence packs.

• Management of buyer/investor pipelines, outreach records and follow-up trackers.

• Support for bilateral physical trading of carbon credits.

• Preparation of indicative offers, credit-availability schedules and transaction-readiness checklists.

• Carbon credit price research, benchmarking, forecasting and sensitivity analysis.

• Comparison of prices by carbon standard, methodology, project type, geography, vintage, authorisation status and corresponding-adjustment status.

• Support for buyer negotiations, commercial-term comparison and carbon credit trading documentation.

• Preparation of investor proposals and research on financing, offtake and forward-purchase options.

• Organisation of due-diligence data rooms, project-risk registers and commercial-readiness summaries.

• Market research on credit demand, project types, integrity criteria, quality requirements and buyer preferences.

• Preparation of proposal inputs, quotation support and client-facing presentations.

11. Proposal, Quotation and Business Development Support

The candidate will assist in business development work, including:

• Preparation of technical proposals for carbon credit, ESG, GHG, CBAM, net zero and decarbonisation services.

• Support for quotation preparation and scope-of-work tables.

• Preparation of client intake forms, service descriptions and presentation material.

• Research on prospective clients, sectors, regulations and project opportunities.

• Drafting of meeting notes, follow-up emails, executive summaries and technical annexures.

AI Tools and Digital Workflows

The candidate must be willing to work with AI tools and digital assistants for improving speed, quality and consistency of consulting outputs. Work may include:

• AI-assisted preparation of proposals, quotations and technical notes.

• AI-assisted drafting of PDDs, monitoring reports and MRV tables.

• Use of AI tools for methodology research, data-gap identification and document structuring.

• Review, correction and professional formatting of AI-generated drafts.

• Preparation of Excel sheets, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, checklists and calculation-support files.

• Maintaining quality control so that AI-generated outputs are technically reviewed, fact-checked and made client-ready before use.

Required Qualifications

• Candidate must have an engineering or technology education background.

• Any engineering or technology branch may apply.

• Preference will be given to candidates from Environmental, Energy, Power, Electrical and Renewable Energy Engineering or Technology. Candidates from Chemical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering or Technology, and from Forestry, Sustainability, Climate Science, Earth Science, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science or related technical disciplines, may also be considered.

• Fresh graduates, students, interns, freelancers and experienced professionals may apply.

• Experience range: 0–40+ years; role level and responsibilities will be aligned with demonstrated capability.

• Prior carbon market or ESG experience is preferred but not mandatory.

Required Skills

• Strong interest in carbon markets, climate change, sustainability, ESG and decarbonisation.

• Ability to understand technical concepts and convert them into structured documents, tables and reports.

• Good written communication skills in English.

• Working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Drive, email and internet research.

• Ability to work with spreadsheets, calculation sheets, checklists and structured data.

• Good analytical thinking and attention to detail.

• Ability to follow instructions and work systematically.

• Willingness to learn carbon standards, methodologies, frameworks and regulatory requirements.

• Ability to work independently with flexible supervision.

• Professional behaviour, confidentiality and reliability.

Preferred Skills

• Basic knowledge of greenhouse gases, carbon credits, renewable energy, energy efficiency, industrial processes or environmental management.

• Familiarity with GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, Verra VCS, Gold Standard, CORSIA, Article 6, Indian CCTS, BRSR, ESG frameworks, CBAM, SBTi or net zero concepts.

• Experience in technical report writing, research, project documentation or consulting support.

• Good Excel capability, including tables, formulas, data cleaning and basic calculations.

• Ability to prepare professional documents, presentations and client-ready summaries.

• Experience with AI tools, Google Workspace, Canva, online research platforms or project-management tools will be an advantage.

Work Arrangement

The job location is Vadodara, Gujarat, India. The role will be in person and flexible. Some work may be performed from home depending on task requirements, while office meetings, training, client coordination or documentation work may require in-person availability.

Expected working hours will be approximately 14–42 hours per week. The final working schedule will be mutually agreed based on candidate availability and VPA India’s work requirements.

What We Offer

• Flexible schedule.

• Work-from-home option for suitable tasks.

• Technical exposure to carbon markets, ESG, decarbonisation and climate consulting.

• Opportunity to work on professional assignments involving carbon credits, PDDs, monitoring reports, GHG inventory, BRSR, CBAM, SBTi, net zero and climate advisory.

• Learning opportunity for engineering and technology students, fresh graduates and early-career professionals.

• Opportunity for long-term association based on performance.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should be technically curious, disciplined, research-oriented and interested in building capability in carbon markets, sustainability, ESG, climate consulting and decarbonisation advisory. The candidate should be comfortable learning new standards, working with technical documents and using AI tools responsibly under professional supervision.

Applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds are welcome. Selection will be based on qualifications, skills, experience and role fit.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit an updated CV with the following details:

• Your current monthly CTC, remuneration or stipend, if applicable.

• Your expected monthly CTC, remuneration or stipend.

• Are you willing to work on a part-time basis for remuneration of up to ₹7,000 per month?

• Are you willing to consider a part-time, performance-based engagement without a fixed salary?

• Please indicate which remuneration arrangement(s) you are willing to consider: (a) fixed remuneration of up to ₹7,000 per month; (b) performance-based incentives only; or (c) a combination of fixed remuneration and performance-based incentives.

• Current location.

• Current education status or highest qualification.

• Engineering or technology education branch.

• Preferred job type: full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, freelance, internship or student job.

• Earliest joining date.

• Marital status, photographs and family details.

• Confirmation of laptop/computer and reliable internet availability.

How to Apply

Interested candidates may send their CV/resume, along with the details requested in the Application Instructions, to the following email address: careers@decarbonisation.expert

Please use the following subject line: “Job Application — Executive Consultant – Carbon Markets, ESG & Decarbonisation Advisory — Job Code: 20260711Technical12”

Notes: Only candidates who provide all information requested in the Application Instructions will be considered for the next stage of the selection process. The selection process may include a telephone interview, video interview and in-person interview. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.