Sustainable Finance Research Intern

Program/Department Overview

EDF+Business is a cross-cutting solutions team that develops and deploys business and investor engagement strategies that accelerate environmental leadership, innovation, and results across industries and supply chains. We are working to create a more sustainable and resilient world where companies, communities and the environment thrive – and we’re making it happen by leveraging the power of the marketplace. We’ve been at the forefront of this change for 30 years, bringing cutting edge science, policy, and economic expertise to high-impact companies to transform business as usual in their products, operations, and advocacy.  

The Sustainable Finance team, within EDF+Business, leverages and influences the global financial forces that affect a company’s actions to drive positive and equitable climate impact. Those forces can include banks, asset managers, investors, private equity, venture capital, financial policy and regulations, and insurers.

For more information on our work, visit business.edf.org.

Environmental Defense Fund Europe (EDFE) is an affiliate of Environmental Defense Fund.

Overall Function

The intern will support the Sustainable Finance team’s work focused on holding the financial sector accountable and engage on topics relating to EDF’s scientific and sectoral expertise in a European context. The intern will research and conduct a landscape analysis on sustainable finance priority topics within EDF’s European region. They will also collaborate with internal stakeholders to gather perspectives around sustainable finance and identify opportunities for EDF to develop its work in areas such as clean aviation finance or adaptation finance in Europe. The intern will report to the Senior Analyst, Sustainable Finance and work closely with the Sustainable Finance team in Europe.  

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Conduct a research project on a European sustainable finance priority topic, including identifying (i) key stakeholders (NGOs and financial institutions); (ii) key trends in Europe; and (iii) key policy frameworks. Potential project scopes include:
  • Sustainable finance for clean aviation - this would involve a landscaping assessment to support identifying where EDF could play a role in unlocking financial flows to accelerate the uptake of clean aviation in Europe.
  • Adaptation finance. This would involve a landscaping assessment of key actors, and voluntary and regulatory frameworks and initiatives in that area, to determine how EDF can best contribute to scaling up adaptation finance.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to seek views on the opportunities for EDF to play a role in sustainable finance for clean aviation or adaptation finance in Europe.
• Conduct a literature review and research to identify trends and opportunities within the research project topic area.
• Draft a report and presentation to synthesize findings; including translating complex, technical subject matter into language that resonates with the audience.
• Present on deliverables to internal EDF stakeholders.
• Participate in advancing EDF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in or a recent graduate of an undergraduate degree program with coursework in sustainability, finance, and/or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest in the role of the financial system in catalyzing the transition to a sustainable economy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be well-organized, motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a virtual team setting.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving skills.

Location

Hybrid out of New York, NY, Boston, MA, or U.S. Remote (preferably U.S. Eastern Standard Time). Supervisor is in New York and project team is Europe based.

Term

Summer 2025 (10-12 weeks)

Hours

Full-time (35 hr/week)

Compensation

This internship would involve compensation for work paid at a rate competitive with leading non-profits at $18/hr.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application.