The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority, setting the environmental agenda, promoting sustainable development within the UN system, and serving as an advocate for the global environment.
Since 2015, UNEP hosts the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) under the Cities Unit, Energy and Climate Branch, Industry and Economy Division.
GlobalABC has 290 members, including 41 countries, and is the leading global platform for stakeholders committed to a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient buildings and construction sector.
GlobalABC Roles
Advocate and Catalyst for Action: Advocates for market transformation, defines carbon neutrality strategies for the built environment, and promotes the sector’s importance through high-level events, including COPs, Buildings Pavilion, and CEM/MI.
Target Setting and Progress Tracking: Tracks progress via the Global Status Report and Global Building Climate Tracker; co-leads the Human Settlements Pathway under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.
Country Support: Develops policy guidance, global/regional roadmaps, and national/city-level models to support decarbonization and raise ambition of NDCs.
Private Sector Transition Support: Provides strategies and priorities to help businesses decarbonize and increase resilience in buildings.
Internship Responsibilities
Support the Buildings and Construction team in coordinating and implementing activities to promote sustainable buildings and construction, including through GlobalABC.
Assist in preparation of online events and webinars, including outreach, communications, operations, and logistics.
Support planning and preparation of the 2026 GlobalABC Annual Assembly (TBD) and COP31 activities (TBD).
Assist in coordination of GlobalABC Hubs and Working Groups activities.
Maintain and update member databases and support member outreach.
Develop communication materials such as presentations, articles, newsletters, website content, and general awareness-raising initiatives.
Prepare meeting notes and outcome-based summaries for events.
Assist team members with tasks related to the overall performance of the Cities Unit’s Buildings and Construction activities.
Participate in team meetings and proactively perform assigned tasks.
Qualifications / Special Skills
Enrolled in, or completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or higher), or in the final year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s or equivalent).
Preferred fields of study: Environmental sciences, Architecture, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Urban/Environmental Policy, or related fields.
Good knowledge of standard software applications, particularly MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
Ability to draft news articles or social media posts is desirable.
Ability to design surveys and polls is desirable.
Professional work experience is not required; however, a field of study closely related to the internship is required.
Languages
Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
Knowledge of an additional UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an advantage.
Additional Information
Two internship positions are available in UNEP’s Cities Unit (Buildings and Construction team), Mitigation Branch, Climate Change Division.
Duty station: Paris, France.
Start dates: 15 January 2026 and 15 July 2026.
Duration: 6 months.
Interns are not financially remunerated; costs for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or sponsoring institutions.
Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents may need a visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should confirm visa requirements before accepting the internship.
Deadline : Dec 2, 2025
Start Your Application
Applications for this position must be completed on the recruiting organization's website.
