Michael Oko

Communications Director

Bio

Michael is the Communications Director at the World Resources Institute, where he oversees media engagement and communications in the United States and globally to advance the organization’s goals of protecting the earth and improving people’s lives.

Michael has an extensive background in strategic communications, media relations, and film/video production in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors.

Prior to joining WRI, Michael was the federal media director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he led media efforts to advance the organization’s top policy priorities, including climate change, energy, public health, lands, air, water, and other issues. Previously, Michael was a senior communication officer for the international division of the American Red Cross, focusing on humanitarian disasters, public health, and related issues. At the Red Cross, he managed outreach for the Tsunami Recovery Program and for the highly successful Measles Initiative.

Earlier in his career, Michael worked in advertising and film/video production in New York City, overseeing national television commercials for top U.S. businesses, along with documentaries, music videos, and many other film projects.

Michael received his Master’s degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, concentrating on international economics and Southeast Asia. He received his B.A. from Cornell University.

Michael has travelled and worked in numerous countries, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Brazil. He currently lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Jennifer, and two kids, Jasper and Laila.

Blog Posts

Global Leaders Deliver Message of Resolve Following Trump’s Decision to Abandon Paris Agreement
by Michael Oko - June 07, 2017
Lots of people are talking about the Paris Agreement. But forget withdrawal—the world is standing fast by climate action.
NDC Partnership Rocks Marrakech
by Michael Oko - November 21, 2016
The NDC Partnership, launched at COP22 last week, provides a platform for countries to accelerate their climate commitments into action.
Success of Paris Agreement Was Built on Determination, Persistence and Science
by Michael Oko - December 16, 2015
What led to the successful adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP21? WRI's Michael Oko sees persistence, determination and the increasing clarity of climate science as key factors.
5 Numbers: What the Paris Climate Talks Have Already Delivered
by Michael Oko - December 10, 2015
Even before the new international climate agreement is finalized, COP21 has accomplished a lot when it comes to cities, clean energy, business and more.
Troubling Trends for Environmental Journalism
by Michael Oko - March 05, 2013
There’s a popular saying in the news that two events are a coincidence, but three make a trend. Over the past few days, there have been two major developments in the national media that will likely have a big impact on coverage of environmental issues. It’s clear that a troubling trend is already underway.

First, the New York Times announced on Friday that it will discontinue its environmental “Green Blog.” (See good pieces by Columbia Journalism Review and the Times’ Dot Earth blog.) This was a pretty shocking development, given that most media outlets are expanding their blogging platforms and online integration. In a sign of the times, the Times editors later posted a list of Twitter handles for some of its top environmental reporters. This news came on the heels of the newspaper’s earlier announcement that it was disbanding its environment desk and reassigning its environmental reporters.

Then, yesterday, the Washington Post announced that it is creating a new “online strike force” to expand its political coverage. One consequence is that the newspaper’s leading environmental reporter, Juliet Eilperin, will be moving to the White House beat. This, too, will be a loss for serious environmental news coverage. While it’s perhaps unfair to compare Eilperin’s work to that of the Times’ entire environment desk, it’s hard to argue that there’s a more influential national reporter on environmental issues.
Dispatches from Doha: “The Lack of Urgency Is Disquieting”
by Michael Oko - December 05, 2012
Doha, Qatar, may not the first place that you’d pick for a global conference—many people would be hard-pressed to find it on a map. Yet, it’s the location of this year’s global UN climate negotiations (COP 18).

It’s midway through the final week of the negotiations, yet there’s an eerie calm in the sprawling conference hall. The scene here is different than the past two years (in Durban and Cancun, respectively), both of which were filled with tension and even moments of drama. Certainly, no one expected a major breakthrough this year, but the lack of urgency here is disquieting.

The Climate Change Risks Are Increasingly Clear

What’s happening inside the conference center stands in stark contrast to what we’re witnessing outside. Just yesterday, an unusual and massive storm, Typhoon Bopha, swept across the Philippines, taking hundreds of lives and displacing thousands more. While typhoons are common in the Philippines, this storm is the most southern on record and arrived particularly late in the season. Meanwhile, people in the eastern United States and Caribbean are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. And, in India, a new report warns that more droughts loom as monsoons will bring 70 percent less water in the years ahead.
Indonesia’s President Yudhoyono: Meeting Today’s Economic and Environmental Challenges by “Valuing Nature”
by Michael Oko - October 02, 2012
WRI co-hosted a dinner last week to honor Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for advancing sustainability, especially in the Coral Triangle. The event took place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City, where more than 300 guests from government, business, and the non-profit sector gathered to recognize Indonesia’s president.

WRI’s president, Andrew Steer, opened the event by reminding guests that President Yudhoyono is a “different kind of leader.” Earlier in his career, Steer spent eight years in Indonesia, and he’s seen firsthand how the country has approached its economic and environmental challenges.

“We live in perilous times,” Steer said. “We need innovative thinking and we need out-of-the-box thinking. Today, we have a leader who is an out-of-the-box leader.”
Andrew Steer Talks Business, Emissions, and “Apocaholics” with Bloomberg News
by Michael Oko - August 27, 2012
Just as he prepared to slide into WRI’s president’s seat, Andrew Steer spoke with Eric Roston, Sustainability Editor of Bloomberg News, about the big environment and development issues of the day. He talked about the role of the business, reporting on carbon emissions, Rio+20, and whether environmentalists are “apocaholics” (that is, addicted to an apocalyptic world view, as suggested recently by Wired magazine).

As Steer said in the interview:
Major News Networks Wake Up to Extreme Weather and Climate Change
by Michael Oko - July 16, 2012
This post is part of WRI's "Extreme Weather Watch" series, which explores the link between climate change and extreme events. Read our other posts in this series.

This summer’s extreme weather events keep on coming—drought, heat waves, wildfires, and more. The major U.S. news networks have been on top of the story.

ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, and CBS Evening News all covered a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) linking extreme weather events to climate change. The New York Times, CNN, and many other media outlets reported on it, too.

Notably, Sam Champion, ABC News’s weatherman, took it a step further, saying to Diane Sawyer, “Now is the time we start limiting man-made greenhouse gases.”

For those of us who work on climate change every day, this call to action isn’t a big surprise. But seeing climate coverage on the network news – including mainstream morning shows like Good Morning America – well, that’s unusual.
What's Happening at Rio+20: The Final Day
by Michael Oko - June 22, 2012
Rio+20 glided to a close today. Many people are still milling about, but many others are already heading home. It will take some time to understand what this conference truly means. WRI’s Manish Bapna called it a “missed opportunity.” That said, we know that we cannot give up. The stakes are too high for that. And perhaps it’s even possible that the embers here will grow and evolve into the solutions that we need for a more sustainable world.

As the dust settles, our experts will continue to provide new information and analysis on this blog. And be sure to check out our latest posts on governance, cities, and transportation.

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Michael Oko

Global Leaders Deliver Message of Resolve Following Trump’s Decision to Abandon Paris Agreement

NDC Partnership Rocks Marrakech

Success of Paris Agreement Was Built on Determination, Persistence and Science

5 Numbers: What the Paris Climate Talks Have Already Delivered

Troubling Trends for Environmental Journalism

Dispatches from Doha: “The Lack of Urgency Is Disquieting”

The Climate Change Risks Are Increasingly Clear

Indonesia’s President Yudhoyono: Meeting Today’s Economic and Environmental Challenges by “Valuing Nature”

Andrew Steer Talks Business, Emissions, and “Apocaholics” with Bloomberg News

Major News Networks Wake Up to Extreme Weather and Climate Change

This post is part of WRI's "Extreme Weather Watch" series, which explores the link between climate change and extreme events. Read our other posts in this series.

What's Happening at Rio+20: The Final Day

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The Climate Change Risks Are Increasingly Clear

This post is part of WRI's "Extreme Weather Watch" series, which explores the link between climate change and extreme events. Read our other posts in this series.

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