Location: Brussels or Paris (hybrid; at least 1 day/week in-office)
Contract: 6 months (extension possible)
Start date: ASAP
Closing date: Rolling; vacancy will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found
Hours: Full-time
Compensation: Paid internship where permitted/required by the internship framework; otherwise expenses reimbursed (details in selection process)

Application instructions: Please apply by sending a covering letter and CV to contact@sandbag.be.

Sandbag is a non-profit think tank which uses data analysis to build evidence-based campaigns on EU climate policy. We focus on policies such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM), Renewable Energy Directive (RED), and the decarbonisation of heavy industry. 

The CBAM will tax emission-intensive imports into Europe of goods from heavy industries (steel, aluminium etc.) gradually from 1 January 2026, as European factories will gradually stop receiving free emission permits in the EU ETS. This policy is misunderstood overseas, as many believe they will hurt imports and benefit domestic EU factories. The CBAM was one of the main reasons for COP30’s failure in November 2025. 

We are seeking to strengthen our data analysis capacity to improve the impact of our campaigns and understanding of complex policy instruments. This should help us to find out strengths and weaknesses in policy instrumentsand developing highly effective narratives targeted at policymakers and other stakeholders: 

• Adjusting our CBAM Simulator to the most recent political and industrial situation; 

• Developing and analysing datasets related to the EU ETS, the CBAM (emissions, production, trade flows, emission intensities, policy parameters, technologies, costs etc.); 

• Developing other interactive tools (online or offline) to explore data and create simulations (e.g. similar to our ETS Dashboard and ETS simulator); 

• Creating relevant analyses (data analysis, writing reports or policy briefs); 

• Sharing findings through participation in panels, meetings with fellow NGOs, policymakers, journalists or industry stakeholders. 

The candidate will: 

• Care passionately about fighting climate change;  

• For paid internships: have fully completed a relevant degree (e.g. computer science, applied maths, French grande école etc.); 

• be a talented data analyst; 

• be able to tell stories through data; 

• be a confident Python programmer; 

• be a confident Excel user; 

• have experience of data visualisation; 

• have a knack for finding data; 

• have good writing skills in English, with precision and attention to detail; 

• be able to understand technical material and explain it effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
   

The ideal candidate will: 

• be familiar with cost analysis; 

• have web development skills.