Cities4Forests Intern

About the Program:

Cities4Forests is a cross-programmatic effort – including WRI’s Water, Forests, and Cities programs – that aims to catalyze political, social, and economic support among city governments and urban citizens to integrate nature-based solutions into city development plans and programs. It is a voluntary coalition involving mayors’ offices— and supported by other subnational agencies such as public water utilities and offices of sustainability—from around the world. Cities4Forests encourages peer-to-peer inspiration and learning, provides technical support for cities to plan and implement nature-based solutions, and supports access to finance for NBS.

**This position is fully remote.
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What you will do:

In this internship, you will contribute to ongoing and new research, stakeholder engagement projects, and development of project proposals, gaining in-depth experience on the design, financing, and implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate and water security.

You will report to the Senior Associate for Cities4Forests and frequently work with members of the Cities4Forests team, which include 25 staff spanning seven countries. You will have the opportunity to meet with and work with other WRI staff and external partners, as well.

Internship Learning Outcomes:

• Research and analyze data, for example: documenting innovations to increase investment in NBS, policy analysis, project data analysis, or tracking new technologies to help monitor and evaluate NBS projects.
• Participate in stakeholder engagements and partner consultations with environmental organizations, energy and water utilities, government entities, financial institutions, or other stakeholders.
• Contribute to the production of reports and communications materials.
• Support the development of project proposals and other correspondence to international donors.
• Organize and participate in regular internal and external meetings to review and inform project progress.

What you will need:

• The internship is open to students pursuing or completed a degree with an educational focus on environmental studies, policy, finance, geography, or related topics.
• This opportunity is part of WRI’s Dreamgreen program, which is an institutionally funded internship program to increase representation among Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). To qualify for WRI's DreamGREEN program, the intern must be a BIPOC student.
• Experience or familiarity with nature-based solutions and climate resilience, environmental policy, environmental finance, and/or nature tech.
• Experience working on projects focused in the Latin American and Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and/or with development finance institutions.
• English language skills a must, Spanish or French a plus.
• Research skills, with attention to detail and quality of source material.
• Experience and/or interest in engaging with government, financial, and civil society sectors.
• Comfort interning remotely.

Compensation

The pay range for this internship opportunity is $20/hour for undergrads and $22/hour for graduates.

Length of Contract:

This is a full-time, 3-month internship with a flexible start and end date.

Location:

• This is a remote-based internship with the option to work out of the Washington D.C. office once it reopens.
• WRI will provide a laptop for the duration of your internship.

**How to Apply:
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Please submit a resume with a cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

About Us: Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, and other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.  
WRI is committed to advancing gender, racial, and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. 
Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.