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Intern – Peatland Breakthrough

Intern – Peatland Breakthrough

Who we are

Wetlands International is a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to the conservation, restoration
and sustainable management of wetlands, for their environmental values and the vital services they
provide to people. We work through a global network of offices, partners and experts to influence policy, support implementation, and mobilize action at global, regional and national levels.

Background

Wetlands sit at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity, water security and land use, and play a
critical role in international policy frameworks. Peatlands concretely play a key role in climate change
climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, water regulation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable livelihoods, and their conservation and restoration is critical to reach the targets of the Paris Agreement. Wetlands International, together with other partners – UNEP, FAO, Greifswald Mire Center and others- is developing the Peatland Breakthrough which is right now at a very exciting moment: bringing new partners on board, defining plans and projects, launching publicly, and fundraising.

Overall purpose of the internship

To support Wetlands International’s coordination work in relation to the Peatland Breakthrough:

Supporting resource mobilization for peatlands in selected areas in Asia, Africa, Europe and
Latinamerica.
Supporting work on engaging new partners (countries, companies, finance, philanthropy,
indigenous peoples, farmers)
Contributing to preparations for partners, donors and finance related events.
Support in coalition coordination (including UNEP, FAO, GMC, Ramsar Convention Secretariat and
others).

Reporting line

The intern will report to Eva Hernández, Head of Peatlands Programme of Wetlands International.

Duration and conditions

Start date: March – April (preference for earlier start date)
Duration: 4–5 months
Working time: 18-24 hours per week
Location: The Netherlands, to allow for physical presence at our office in Ede when needed.
Contract type: Internship

Key responsibilities and tasks

The intern’s responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
Regional chapters and resource mobilization (30%)

Definition of regional chapters and work plans
Identification of potential partners at regional level
Support early project concept development

Partner engagement (20%)

Identification of potential partners or endorsers of the PB
Preparation of support materials for partner engagement

Global events and processes (20%)

Support preparations for global and regional events relevant to the Peatland Breakthrough
(Assist with tracking agenda items, sessions, side events and liaison with key partners).
Support linking the Peatland Breakthrough with the Climate Action Agenda 2030.

Coalition coordination (20%)

Supporting work for Steering Group and Resource Mobilization Working Group meetings.#

Cross-cutting support (10%)

Assist with drafting project concept notes, summaries or presentations.
Provide background research for briefings, presentations and coordination meetings.

Profile

We are looking for a motivated and analytical intern with a strong interest in wetlands and international environmental policy and diplomacy, green finance, multilateral negotiations and cooperation.

The ideal candidate

Demonstrates a good understanding of climate change, biodiversity and water governance, and their interlinkages.
Is comfortable working with multilateral frameworks and finance topics.
Is proactive and collaborative, and able to work independently in a remote environment

Education, experience and competencies

Currently enrolled in a Master’s programme—preferably in the final year of study—in environmental policy or diplomacy, sustainable business and finance, international relations, environmental governance, development studies, or a related field.
Some academic or practical exposure to international environmental processes is an asset.
Strong analytical/research and writing skills.
Detail-oriented, with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks, work to deadlines, and prioritize effectively when responding to requests from different colleagues.
Fluency in English is required; additional languages (especially Spanish or French) are an asset.