Meeting other interns on the first day of an environmental science internship in London

Environmental Science Internships in London

London's financial sector has quietly become one of the world's most important hubs for climate finance, with green bonds, sustainability-linked loans and ESG investment products increasingly structured and traded through the City. Just downstream, the Thames Barrier, built to protect the capital from rising tides and storm surges, now closes more often than its engineers ever expected.

London's environmental identity runs deeper still. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew hold one of the world's most significant plant science and seed conservation collections, while the city's low-emission traffic zones have become a widely studied experiment in urban air quality policy, giving interns exposure to environmental work spanning finance, flood resilience, biodiversity and air quality in a single capital.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, our environmental science and sustainability internship program in London can help you build practical experience in a sector shaped by climate finance, flood resilience and biodiversity science all at once.

Important eligibility information: If you solely hold a UK passport and have lived only in England & Wales for the past five years, you must join a program outside the UK.

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24Guaranteed Internship
Vetted roles in leading London environmental, conservation and sustainability organizations.

14Complete Overseas Support
Visa assistance, London housing, social & cultural events and 24/7 staff support included.

22Global Career Network
Join 15,000+ alumni with dynamic workshops, networking events, and employer references.

Example environmental science and sustainability host organizations in London

We've previously placed interns with organizations across London's climate finance, biodiversity research, air quality policy and renewable energy sectors. The organizations featured represent examples of the types of professional environments where participants have gained experience.

Why do an environmental science and sustainability internship in London?

London's position as a global financial center has pulled climate finance into the mainstream of the City's work, with green bonds and ESG investment products now structured and traded alongside more conventional financial instruments. Interns working inside that world see sustainability treated as a serious financial discipline, not just a corporate add-on.

That financial expertise exists alongside a very physical climate challenge. The Thames Barrier's rising closure rate has made flood resilience an increasingly urgent planning issue for the whole city, while London's low-emission traffic zones have become one of the most closely studied urban air quality policies anywhere, cited by other major cities considering similar measures. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew add a research dimension too, running plant science and seed conservation work that reaches well beyond the UK's own borders.

London is particularly strong in areas such as sustainable and green finance, climate risk and flood resilience, air quality policy and biodiversity research, offering exposure to environmental work spanning finance, physical infrastructure and conservation science.

Experience environmental work at a global financial center

Climate finance hub
See how London's financial sector has built real depth in green bonds, ESG investment and sustainable finance.

Deep specialization
Explore the sector across green finance, flood resilience, air quality policy and biodiversity research.

Global networking
Build connections with professionals working on climate challenges studied by cities and institutions worldwide.

Flood resilience expertise
Learn how the Thames Barrier's rising closure rate has shaped London's approach to long-term climate adaptation.

Spending a day with other interns in a pub during an environmental science internship in London

Explore environmental science and sustainability internships in London

London's environmental landscape spans climate finance teams, flood resilience and infrastructure planners, air quality policy bodies and biodiversity research institutions. Your internship could give you the opportunity to see how organizations in the city respond to climate risk, air quality and conservation science.

Climate Risk & Resilience

Planning for rising tides and more frequent storm surges means thinking in decades rather than years. You could support flood risk research, resilience planning documentation or reporting.

You could work on: Flood risk research support · Resilience planning documentation · Reporting support · Data analysis support

Air Quality & Urban Environmental Health

Studying the effects of low-emission policy means combining air quality data with research into public health outcomes across the city. You could support air quality data analysis, policy research or reporting.

You could work on: Air quality data analysis support · Policy research support · Reporting support · Documentation

Climate Policy & Environmental Regulation

Turning a climate target into enforceable policy means translating scientific evidence into regulation that businesses and local authorities can actually follow. You could support policy research, regulatory documentation or stakeholder research.

You could work on: Policy research support · Regulatory documentation support · Stakeholder research · Reporting support

Environmental Education & Community Engagement

Helping the public understand climate risk and conservation science means translating research into something people can actually act on. You could support program development, educational content creation or community outreach.

You could work on: Program development support · Educational content creation · Community outreach support · Event coordination support

Looking for environmental science and sustainability internships beyond London? Explore our international sustainability internships to discover opportunities across a range of destinations. 

Example environmental science and sustainability internship roles in London

Depending on your skills and interests, you could take on a role such as:

  • Environmental Project Coordinator Intern
  • Climate Research & Policy Intern
  • Clean Energy Communications Intern
  • Environmental Conservation Intern
  • Vertical Farming Innovation Intern
  • Research & Production Intern
  • Environmental Research Intern
  • Environmental Research & Restoration Intern

Your exact role will depend on your host organization and placement.

Explore more example Sustainability roles >

At a picnic in the park after work during an environmental science internship in London

What can you gain from an environmental science and sustainability internship in London?

An environmental science and sustainability internship in London goes beyond a single line on your CV. It's a chance to see how a sector spanning finance, infrastructure and conservation science all respond to the same underlying climate pressure, developing practical skills through work with real policy relevance.

  • Build London environmental experience

    International environmental experience on your CV shows future employers you've worked within a sector combining global financial weight with real conservation science.

  • Work on real environmental projects

    Put your knowledge into practice through projects that could involve green finance, flood resilience, air quality policy or biodiversity research, depending on your placement. 

  • Grow your global environmental network

    Connect with professionals working on climate challenges studied by cities and institutions worldwide while building relationships with fellow interns from around the world. 

  • Understand climate finance as serious practice

    See how London's financial sector has turned sustainability from a side consideration into a core financial discipline. 

  • Experience London's environmental culture

    Gain insight into how climate finance, flood resilience and biodiversity science combine to shape how the city approaches sustainability. 

TIG interns in London

What's included in the London internship program?

Your program includes support designed to help you get the most from your international internship, from placement and accommodation to visa support, career coaching and 24/7 in-country support.

Explore the full London internship program >

Hear from our interns in London

Kacia Stewart
Kacia Stewart
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Alyssa Petty-Fausett
Alyssa Petty-Fausett
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Kaitlyn Potter
Kaitlyn Potter
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"The company I'm interning with does a lot of work in the voluntary carbon credit market, and my role involves writing web pages for their climate projects and compiling impact data. I'm loving living in London. I love being in a big, bustling city, and everyone here is so friendly and sociable. I'm really enjoying my time here." - Kacia Stewart, environmental science intern in London

"I chose the London internship program because I'd never travelled much outside my home country. It felt like the perfect place to feel comfortable, since it's so similar to where I'm from, while also giving me the chance to explore other parts of Europe, meet new people and experience different communities. It was the perfect mix of feeling at home and expanding my horizons."  - Alyssa Petty-Fausett

Having afternoon tea in London during an environmental science internship

Is a London environmental science and sustainability internship right for you?

A London environmental science and sustainability internship could be a great fit if you're drawn to work spanning finance, infrastructure and conservation science all at once.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, you can build practical environmental skills while experiencing how organizations in London respond to climate risk, air quality and conservation science. It's an opportunity to build your CV, expand your professional network and discover where a career in environmental science and sustainability could take you.

What is it like to live as an environmental science and sustainability intern in London?

Living as an environmental science and sustainability intern in London means a site visit to the Thames Barrier becomes a real professional highlight rather than a tourist detour, its steel piers a strange, striking sight for anyone who studies flood defense for a living. Weekend mornings sometimes mean a walk through the WWT London Wetland Centre in Barnes, reed beds and reservoirs tucked improbably close to the middle of the city.

Kew Gardens rewards a slower, more deliberate visit once you start recognizing the research behind the collections rather than just the scenery. Walthamstow Wetlands, Europe's largest urban wetland nature reserve, built around the reservoirs supplying much of the city's drinking water, makes for an easy escape whenever the office starts to feel too far from the fieldwork you're actually writing about.

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Spending a day at Thorpe Park during an environmental science internship in London

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