ESG & Sustainability Internships in Singapore
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has moved from a niche CSR function to a mainstream business imperative in Singapore. The Monetary Authority of Singapore's Green Finance Action Plan, Singapore's Green Plan 2030, and mandatory sustainability reporting requirements are driving hiring across the public and private sectors. For students, ESG is one of the fastest-growing internship tracks.
Why Singapore Is a Leading ESG Hub
| Factor |
Detail |
| MAS Green Finance |
SGD 2bn green investment in 2023; mandatory TCFD reporting |
| Singapore Green Plan 2030 |
Whole-of-government sustainability targets |
| SGX Sustainability Reporting |
Listed companies must report sustainability metrics |
| ASEAN Taxonomy |
Singapore plays key role in regional green finance standards |
| Research Institutions |
NUS Centre for Governance & Sustainability, CSFE, ISEAS |
ESG Internship Roles
| Role |
What You Do |
| ESG Analyst |
Screen investments using ESG criteria, prepare reports |
| Sustainability Analyst |
Track KPIs against sustainability targets, reporting |
| Climate Risk Analyst |
Model physical/transition climate risks (TCFD) |
| Green Finance / Bonds |
Support green bond issuance and verification |
| ESG Reporting |
Prepare GRI / SASB / TCFD sustainability reports |
| Policy & Research |
Analyse sustainability regulations, write research briefs |
| Carbon Accounting |
Scope 1/2/3 emissions tracking, carbon credit analysis |
Top Employers
Banks with ESG / Green Finance Teams
| Employer |
ESG Focus |
Monthly Allowance |
| DBS Bank |
Net-zero banking, green bonds, sustainable lending |
SGD 1,800–3,000 |
| OCBC |
Sustainable finance |
SGD 1,500–2,500 |
| Standard Chartered |
Sustainable finance, blended finance |
SGD 1,500–2,500 |
| UOB |
Green mortgage, ESG research |
SGD 1,500–2,500 |
| HSBC Singapore |
Sustainable finance |
SGD 1,800–2,500 |
Asset Managers
| Employer |
ESG Focus |
Monthly Allowance |
| Temasek (Sustainability) |
Sustainability strategy, impact investing |
SGD 2,000–3,500 |
| GIC |
ESG integration, climate risk |
SGD 2,000–3,500 |
| BlackRock (SG) |
ESG integration, climate data |
SGD 2,000–3,000 |
| Schroders Singapore |
Responsible investing, stewardship |
SGD 1,500–2,500 |
Consulting
| Firm |
ESG Practice |
Monthly Allowance |
| Deloitte Sustainability |
ESG advisory, TCFD |
SGD 1,500–2,200 |
| EY Climate Change |
Climate risk, transition planning |
SGD 1,500–2,200 |
| PwC ESG |
Sustainability assurance, reporting |
SGD 1,500–2,200 |
| KPMG ESG |
Strategy, sustainability reporting |
SGD 1,400–2,000 |
| McKinsey Sustainability |
Strategy, energy transition |
SGD 3,000–4,500 |
Government & Research
| Employer |
Focus |
Monthly Allowance |
| MAS (Sustainable Finance Office) |
Green finance policy |
SGD 1,500–2,000 |
| EDB (Sustainability division) |
Industry sustainability |
SGD 1,500–2,000 |
| NEA |
Environmental regulation, carbon market |
SGD 1,000–1,600 |
| NUS Centre for Governance & Sustainability |
ESG research |
SGD 1,000–1,500 |
ESG Frameworks You Should Know
| Framework |
What It Is |
| TCFD |
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures — climate risk reporting |
| GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) |
Sustainability reporting standards |
| SASB |
Sector-specific sustainability accounting standards |
| SFDR (EU) |
Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation — relevant for EU-related funds |
| Singapore Green Taxonomy |
MAS-developed classification of green activities |
| Science-Based Targets (SBTi) |
Corporate net-zero target setting |
| ISSB (IFRS S1/S2) |
New global sustainability disclosure standards |
For internship applications, knowing what TCFD and ISSB are — and being able to explain them briefly — significantly differentiates you.
Salary Benchmarks
| Company Type |
Monthly Allowance |
| Top consulting (McKinsey, BCG) |
SGD 3,000–4,500 |
| Asset managers (Temasek, GIC, BlackRock) |
SGD 2,000–3,500 |
| Banks (DBS, StanChart, HSBC) |
SGD 1,500–3,000 |
| Big 4 ESG practices |
SGD 1,400–2,200 |
| Government (MAS, NEA, EDB) |
SGD 1,000–2,000 |
| NGOs / research institutes |
SGD 800–1,500 |
Getting Started
- Read MAS's Green Finance Action Plan (available free at mas.gov.sg) — interviewers frequently test awareness of Singapore's specific green finance policies
- TCFD knowledge is expected at banks and asset managers — take a free online TCFD course (Coursera, UNEP FI)
- NUS courses: NUS's Sustainability major and the CSFE research centre are strong feeders into ESG roles at banks and MAS
- Bloomberg ESG Data training: Bloomberg offers free ESG data modules; completing these is a differentiator for data-intensive ESG roles
- The ESG field is new enough that students with genuine knowledge and initiative can outcompete more senior candidates who learned ESG secondhand
ESG is not a passing trend in Singapore — it is being embedded into regulatory requirements, corporate governance frameworks, and capital allocation decisions. The internship class of today will become the ESG professionals that Singapore's green economy depends on.