Research Intern

Global Optimism was co-founded by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac on leaving the UN, having overseen the delivery of the landmark Paris Agreement. We are a small, nimble team dedicated to a clear mission to play our part in catalysing actions toward halving global emissions by 2030, laying the groundwork for a regenerative world where all people and nature can thrive.

Global Optimism inspires steadfast confidence in our collective human ability to dedicate ourselves to solving the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced – the climate crisis – by activating the stubborn optimists of the world.

We work across three broad pillars of action: 1) we work with likeminded partners on catalytic campaigns that impact on society, celebrate collective efforts and activate to influence change; 2) we precipitate sectoral shifts through our engagements with transformational private sector efforts; and 3) we change narratives and help to build resilient mindsets through our media platforms.

Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge with Amazon in 2019. Signatories to The Climate Pledge stand together in a commitment to be net zero carbon across scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2040 – a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement. Companies that sign The Climate Pledge agree to regularly report emissions, rapidly decarbonise their value chain, and neutralise remaining emissions with credible offsets. The Climate Pledge now has over 200 signatories working together to solve the challenges of decarbonising our economy.

We are seeking an Intern to complete desktop research to support The Climate Pledge’s daily operations, processes and long-term strategy. This is a role for a strong researcher and communicator, who can find and synthesise information efficiently and effectively. This is a role that requires great organisational skills and a keen interest in corporate sector climate action. You will make an important contribution to The Climate Pledge by helping provide the research, information, and foundational knowledge we need to build and deliver an informed strategy.

The position is for a minimum of 20 hours per week and full-time is preferred from February 1st, 2022. The role is for an initial duration of 3 months with possible extension. UK-based candidates are preferred, but international candidates will also be considered.

You will need strong research skills for finding, extracting, and synthesising key information and great written communication and report writing abilities. You will need to be comfortable in a fast-paced environment and able to manage and prioritise your dynamic workload to meet deadlines. You should have a curious and investigative mindset and a passion for, and commitment to, working in climate change and sustainability. Prior knowledge of climate change with respect to business and the corporate sector is necessary. You will be a strong team player, flexible and committed. You will be bringing your considerable skills to the role and will also have a unique opportunity to build your knowledge, skills, and abilities with us.

Research

• Complete desktop research to produce background briefing documents on companies and their sustainability efforts and ambitions.
• Complete research to support the ongoing development of internal processes and systems to support Pledge operations.
• Undertake research to build out the corporate and climate profiles of signatories and support Pledge comms and storytelling.
• Contribute to in-depth research on specific sectors, topics, challenges, opportunities, and solutions to produce comprehensive, “deep dive” papers that support the development of The Climate Pledge’s long-term strategy.

• Support ad-hoc research tasks and projects.
• Complete research to keep the team up to date with the latest developments in the net zero landscape, including key trends, announcements, commitments, frameworks, and standards.
• Track and compile the latest key announcements and commitments in the climate space made by companies, governments, NGOs and financial institutions.

Administration and Operations

• Support internal processes and operations through administrative and operational tasks where necessary, such as scheduling, data input and CRM.

• Skilled in delivering high quality research on deadline, with attention to detail.
• Strong organisational skills, able to demonstrate project management.
• Able to think quickly and use initiative to solve challenges and answer questions.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Competent in producing succinct and informative research papers.
• Knowledge and understanding of climate change in the context of business is essential.

£20,500 – £23,000 based on a full-time position.

Application deadline is Friday 7th January 2022 by midnight EST.

Applicants should email a CV and cover letter of no more than 2 pages to freya@globaloptimism.com including the subject line: Research Intern Application.