Page 31 - UmRio Sustainability - Action Plan

RECOMMENDED INITIATIVES

its importance in protecting residents and UmRio families and then a broader effort to

inform residents and UmRio families regarding why they should care about and work on
addressing climate change. Ideally, this sustainability officer can direct the future surveys
conducted in partnership with FioCruz to pinpoint the areas of climate change that most
affect residents’ lives in Morro do Castro and then, using that information, create
targeted sustainability and climate change resilience education programs and goals.

To effectively incorporate climate change resilience into UmRio’s mission, it will be
important that UmRio hires a Climate Change Resilience Coordinator. In 2021, the
number of Sustainability Officers tripled in the corporate world, and it is increasingly
important that government and non-governmental organizations incorporate
sustainability officers into their organizations as well (Urso, 2022). UmRio needs to create
a position for a Climate Change Resilience Coordinator to aid in setting priorities for the
unique challenges favela residents face due to climate change. This new position will
ensure that UmRio’s mission and 5 Pillars incorporate sustainability, that their programs
are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable, and that those efforts
directly translate to building climate change resilience for UmRio participants and Morro
do Castro families.

Responsibilities should include developing, managing, and monitoring UmRio’s
programs and setting a sustainability strategy. Ideally, this new position will work with
the Board to set priorities. Still, it will primarily work with employees executing UmRio’s
programs and donors to articulate the inclusion of climate change resilience into the
overall goals of UmRio. Initial efforts should include educating the leadership and
volunteers of UmRio on climate change resilience and its importance in protecting
residents and UmRio families and then a broader effort to inform residents and UmRio
families regarding why they should care about and work on addressing climate change.

Ideally, this sustainability officer can direct the future surveys conducted in partnership
with FioCruz to pinpoint the areas of climate change that most affect residents’ lives in
Morro do Castro and then, using that information, create targeted sustainability and
climate change resilience education programs and goals.

SUGGESTED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE COORDINATOR:

Job Purpose

UmRio recognizes that climate change poses a fundamental threat to its program
participants in favelas even if the world can keep the rise in global temperatures below
2°C pre-industrial levels. However, significant warming and negative impacts, particularly
in tropical areas like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are inevitable even at this level.

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