Pollution and Circular Economy Support Internship

The intern will support UNEP FI's Pollution and Circular Economy workstream by assisting with research, development of guidance materials, capacity building, and coordination activities related to pollution and circular economy in the financial sector. The role involves collaboration with various working groups and stakeholders to promote sustainable finance aligned with environmental goals.

Responsibilities

• Support internal work on pollution, especially plastic and chemicals pollution, and circular economy, including applied research on relevant topics.
• Support the development of UNEP FI support, guidance materials, case studies, capacity building programs related to pollution and circular economy.
• Support the Circular Economy Working Group in developing guidance documents for banks on operationalizing circular economy and sustainability.
• Support the establishment and activities of a Circular Economy Community of Practice for knowledge sharing within the finance sector and with development banks.
• Support the Pollution Working Group in developing guidance on pollution for banks in high impact sectors like agriculture and construction.
• Support the Finance Leadership Group on Plastics in developing resources to tackle plastic pollution in financial portfolios and engage with the international plastics treaty negotiation.
• Conduct research on pollution, circular economy, and finance-related themes, including metrics, indicators, data, norms, and practices.
• Collate information from various sources including technical reports, industry publications, webinars, and academic publications and convert these into digestible highlights.
• Assist with day-to-day coordination of communications with participants of UNEP FI’s working groups and other teams.
• Provide project coordination, administrative and communications support including tracking sheet maintenance, organizing and minuting calls, and supporting production and dissemination of communication materials.

Requirements

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) or be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent) or have graduated with a university degree and commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.
• Relevant experience and final year undergraduate or master’s degree studies or recently graduated in finance, economics, sustainable development, environmental studies, international relations/affairs or other related themes.
• Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience.
• A field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of French and Spanish is desirable.

Skills

• Research
• Guidance Materials Development
• Capacity Building
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Sustainable Finance
• Pollution Management
• Circular Economy Principles
• Environmental Policy
• Banking Sector Knowledge
• Report Writing
• Data Analysis
• Project Support
• English Language Proficiency

Languages

English, French, Spanish