🇫🇷 UN Internship in France 🌍 Policy and Planning Intern 🌿 UNEP Climate Change Division, Paris 🇫🇷
Are you a student or recent graduate in sustainability, environmental law, environmental science, policy, business management, or a related field — and ready to contribute to climate policy work at the highest level of the United Nations? The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is looking for an intern to join its Climate Change Division, Mitigation Branch, Policy and Planning Unit in Paris. The role focuses on the NDC Act & Invest Project — supporting research on climate finance, policy alignment, private sector engagement, and blended finance — as well as broader policy and planning support across the unit. Unpaid. 6 months. Deadline: 31 March 2026.
🇫🇷 Did You Know? Paris is home to one of the most concentrated clusters of international organisations and multilateral agencies in the world — including UNESCO, the OECD, the International Energy Agency, and UNEP's Europe Office. The city is also where the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in December 2015 — making it one of the most symbolically significant locations on earth for climate policy work. Interning at UNEP in Paris means working in the city that gave its name to the world's most important climate accord.
What Will You Do?
🌿Contribute to research on the enabling environment for climate finance — including the alignment of policies and development plans such as NDCs, LT-LEDS, and NBSAPs
🌍Provide country-specific inputs for policy alignment, investment planning, private sector engagement, blended finance opportunities, and technical guidance under the NDC Act & Invest Project
📝Provide inputs to briefing materials, reports, and documentation in support of project delivery and donor reporting
📣Contribute to the development of a dedicated communications strategy for the NDC Act & Invest project — helping translate complex policy work into accessible public-facing content
📋Contribute to the preparation of background papers, technical briefs, and knowledge products — and support the organisation of meetings, workshops, training sessions, and knowledge-sharing events
🏛️Participate in organisation-wide climate change events, workshops, and briefings — reporting back to the Head of the Policy and Planning Unit and gaining broad exposure to UNEP's climate work
💡 Did You Know? Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — the central focus of this internship — are the climate action plans that every country participating in the Paris Agreement is required to submit and update. They set out how each country plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. UNEP's NDC Act & Invest Project works specifically to help countries translate these plans into financed, investable projects — bridging the gap between climate ambition on paper and real-world implementation. This is widely regarded as one of the most critical bottlenecks in global climate action.
Eligibility & Requirements
🎓You are enrolled in or have completed a graduate programme (master's level or higher) — OR you are in the final year of a first university degree (bachelor's level or equivalent)
🌿Preferred areas of study: Sustainability Management, Environmental Law, Environmental Science, Policy and Leadership, Business Management, Governance, Political Science, or related fields
💻Computer literacy in standard software applications is required
🌍You demonstrate a genuine interest in the work of the United Nations and a commitment to the ideals of the UN Charter
🗣️Knowledge of French, Chinese, or Spanish is an advantage — but not a strict requirement
📋No professional work experience is required — a closely related field of study is the primary requirement
Practical Information
💰This internship is unpaid — all costs related to travel, visa, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of the intern or their sponsoring institution
📍In-person position at the UNEP Paris duty station
🛂Interns who are not French citizens or permanent residents may need to obtain appropriate visa and work authorisation — discuss requirements before accepting any offer
Key Information
Application Link
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