Climate & Environment opportunities

Climate and environment opportunities are offered by climate funds, UN bodies, research partnerships, conservation and policy think tanks, and companies working on energy and sustainability. The Green Climate Fund runs an internship programme at its headquarters in Songdo, Republic of Korea, open to Master's or PhD students and recent graduates in fields related to its work, with a particular welcome for applicants from developing countries. WRI hosts interns and fellows, and CGIAR is a research partnership focused on food, nutrition and natural resources.

Roles are filled through each organisation's careers portal, and WRI states that it does not accept general applications, only applications for specific open positions. The Green Climate Fund describes a selection that begins with a review of applications and CVs and may add a recorded video interview, a written assessment and an online panel interview. Writing samples are sometimes requested, references are often asked for only from finalists, and some employers now require disclosure of AI assistance in drafting application documents.

Timing varies. The Green Climate Fund usually recruits interns from December to early January, selects between February and May, and sees start dates around July, while other employers hire throughout the year. Common mistakes are submitting a generic climate-themed letter instead of one tied to the vacancy, overlooking the field-of-study requirement, ignoring relocation, visa and stipend details, and leaving too little time for assessments that come after the first round.