Host a Climate Corps Fellow
Paridhi Mishra (Deputy Director – Climate Corps, AshokaX) and Nitin Varkey (Chief of Staff, Blue Dart Express Ltd.)
Power your sustainability and net-zero goals with trained climate professionals!
Ashoka-Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellowship is an innovative fellowship programme that trains talented and passionate post graduate students and pairs them with companies and public institutions committed to meeting climate goals and helping to strengthen the Indian economy.
Started by Environmental Defense Fund, Climate Corps operates in three countries: US, China, and India. The programme addresses a crucial human capital gap in the wide-ranging efforts to fight climate change, delivering bold, practical solutions that benefit the planet and people’s health.
By hosting a fellow, your organisation gains dedicated capacity to accelerate climate action, sustainability strategy, and ESG initiatives.
Global Impact of Climate Corps
Why Host a Climate Corps Fellow?
Hosting a fellow is unlike an ordinary internship; it is a capacity-building opportunity for your organisation.
Climate Corps fellows help organisations:
- Build sustainability and net-zero strategies and climate transition roadmaps
- Measure and reduce GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3)
- Conduct climate risk assessments and integrate them into business strategy
- Strengthen ESG reporting and disclosures
- Identify renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities
- Engage suppliers on sustainability
- And much more
Fellows work on practical, implementation-oriented projects tailored to your organisation’s needs.
Focus Sectors of the Fellowship
Fellows support organisations across high emitting, hard-to-abate sectors such as:
Agriculture/Food Systems
Incorporating climate smart practices, measuring and reducing emissions across the agricultural and food value chains
Sustainable Finance
Climate risk assessment, sustainable financing, climate-related policy and disclosures, investing in net-zero transition
Freight & Logistics
Reducing Scope 3 emissions, engaging suppliers on sustainability initiatives, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicle fleets
Manufacturing
Reducing emissions, incorporating material circularity to manufacturing processes, enabling efficient industrial operations
How Are Fellows Trained?
Before joining host organisations, fellows undergo training in:
Climate Risk Assessment
Identifying physical and transition risks, estimating financial implications, integrating climate risk into business strategy, understanding risk mitigation strategies for identified climate risks, learning relevant regulations and reporting requirements
Climate Finance & Carbon Markets
Exploring innovative green finance instruments (green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, etc.), climate funds, global and Indian carbon markets (compliance and voluntary markets), carbon trading methodologies, carbon project development, etc.
Supply Chain Sustainability
Measuring and reducing Scope 3 emissions, implementing sustainable procurement strategies and supplier engagement, integrating renewable energy and resource efficiency, developing criteria for sustainable supply chain and their assessment
Reporting and Disclosures
International & national ESG frameworks, standards, and ratings, India’s BRSR framework & alignment with ESG metrics & national guidelines, impact on investment decisions & stakeholder trust, double materiality, reporting challenges & tech-led solutions
What Fellows Work On
Climate Corps fellows work on implementation-focused projects that help organsations measure, manage, and reduce their environmental impact while strengthening sustainability strategy and reporting.
Below are examples of the types of projects fellows have supported in the past:
Programme Structure
Fellowship Duration: 3 or 6 months
Stipend: INR 50,000 per month (paid by host organisation)
Fellow Profile: Postgraduate students and early-career professionals with 2+ years of work experience and equipped with 8 week long Climate Corps training
Programme Timeline
How Climate Corps Works with Hosts
Climate Corps works closely with host organisations throughout the fellowship journey to help translate sustainability ambitions into meaningful projects and outcomes.
- We match trained fellows with hosts depending on the project requirements.
- We conduct regular check-ins during fellowship to ensure progress.
- We provide project scoping support.
- We provide access to Climate Corps network and knowledge resources.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The programme works with a diverse range of organisations, including:
- Corporates across sectors
- Startups and climate tech companies
- Nonprofits and social enterprises
- Public sector organisations
Any organisation looking to advance its sustainability journey can benefit from hosting a fellow.
Fellows are carefully selected, Master’s level students or early-career professionals with at least 2 years of work experience and a demonstrated interest in climate and sustainability. They come from diverse disciplines and bring fresh perspectives, structured thinking, and a willingness to engage deeply with complex business challenges.
All fellows are trained in emerging sustainability areas and practical problem-solving before starting their projects, enabling them to contribute meaningfully from day one.
Matching is based on:
- Project requirements and technical needs of the hosts
- Fellows’ skills, backgrounds, and interests
- Sectoral alignment
The goal is to ensure a strong fit that maximises both impact and learning.
Each fellowship project typically runs for either 3 months or 6 months after mutual alignment between the fellow and host.
Yes, each fellow receives a monthly stipend of INR 50,000, which is borne by the host.
Yes. Fellows are expected to work full-time on their assigned projects during the placement phase, ensuring focused and consistent progress.
Host organisations are expected to:
- Define project scope with deliverables
- Nominate a point of contact/mentor for the fellow
- Provide relevant data, context, and access required for the project
- Offer periodic feedback and guidance to the fellows
- Participate in check-ins with the Climate Corps team to ensure alignment
- Review and approve the fellows’ project deliverables as part of the fellowship.
The Climate Corps team supports both fellows and hosts to ensure smooth execution.
Climate Corps periodically engages with the fellows and hosts through structured touchpoints to ensure the smooth running of projects. Schedule of touchpoints:
Kick off between fellow, host, Climate Corps team within a week of the start of the fellowship:
To get aligned on the project and timelines and to provide any resource-related or expert connection support to fellows and hosts
Monthly meetings between fellow and Climate Corps team:
To ensure desired progress is being made on the project and provide any support that the fellow or host may require from Climate Corps. It’s optional for hosts to attend these meetings.
End point meeting between fellow, host, and Climate Corps team towards the end of the project:
Here, the fellow gives a presentation on project goals, results, outcomes, and impact to both the host and Climate Corps and shares their learnings.
Post the presentation, the fellow also submits final deliverables to Climate Corps, including a report and public summary, after getting them approved by the host. This marks the formal conclusion of the engagement between the fellow and the host.
Climate Corps recognises that fellows may work with sensitive organisational data. Fellows are expected to adhere to strict standards of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality throughout their engagement.
We encourage hosts to clearly communicate any specific confidentiality requirements at the outset to ensure alignment.
Fellows and hosts are not expected to submit or share any confidential information with the Climate Corps.
Yes. Many host organisations choose to continue working with fellows beyond the programme, either through full-time roles or extended engagements. Please note that any such arrangements are made directly between the fellow and the host organisation. Climate Corps does not play a role in or influence these decisions.
To host a fellow, contact paridhi.mishra@ashoka.edu.in, and let’s have a scoping discussion about your organisation’s priorities and project requirements.
You can also send an application here.
Ready to Host a Climate Corps Fellow?
Work with trained fellows and accelerate your sustainability and net-zero goals.
Contact climatecorpsindia@ashoka.edu.in for any queries.
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Environmental Defense Fund and Climate Corps is the registered trademark of the Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. Used with permission.
