REUTERS 01/23/23 By Michael Shank and Esa Nikunen Cities that invest in effectively getting climate messages out can drive faster change Michael Shank is director of engagement for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and Esa Nikunen is director general of environment services for Helsinki. Have you ever been to the […]
FAST COMPANY 12/20/22 By Michael Shank From Amsterdam to Cleveland, cities are experimenting with tactics that bring community members into the conversation and empower them to make positive change. As more people migrate to urban areas at risk of climate disaster, cities are increasingly thinking and working outside the traditional […]
NEWSWEEK 12/8/22 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Raul Grijalva As climate talks wrapped up at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt this past month, the attending delegates agreed to make long-awaited history. For the first time, the United Nations adopted a pact to establish a “loss […]
REUTERS 10/11/22 By Michael Shank and Julia Peek Michael Shank is director of engagement at the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. Julia Peek is director of communications and mobilization at the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. When tackling climate change, one may think of the usual suite of approaches in policymaking: regulation […]
REUTERS 08/05/22 By Michael Shank Michael Shank is the director of engagement for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. With Indonesian islanders suing cement producers for climate damages recently, buildings are getting much-needed attention for their carbon-heavy footprint. The built environment generates nearly 50% of annual global emissions. Yet buildings hardly […]
REUTERS 06/10/22 By Michael Shank Anytime the international community convenes on climate change there’s a predictable mix of criticism and encouragement. This month’s 50th Anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration, commemorating the United Nations’ first official gathering to discuss the “human environment” and ways to protect it, was no different. After […]
NEWSWEEK 03/17/22 By Michael Shank President Joe Biden has become the latest leader to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal when asked by reporters on Wednesday to weigh in on the subject. In so doing, he joins a growing list of international leaders to condemn Putin’s invasion of […]
NEWSWEEK 03/03/2022 By Michael Shank Citizens around the world are setting a new and impressive precedent in engaging in international affairs. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised a level of interest that dwarfs that of other recent conflicts or wars. This is undoubtedly a good thing: We need more voices […]
REUTERS 12/16/21 By Michael Shank and U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke Yvette D. Clarke is vice chair of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and co-chair of the Smart Cities Caucus. Michael Shank is communications director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and an adjunct faculty member at NYU’s […]
THE HILL 10/21/21 By Michael Shank and US Congresswoman Yvette Clarke In preparation for the international climate talks next month in Glasgow, Scotland, delegates have again pledged $100 billion annually in climate finance to help less developed countries respond to increasing climate disasters. But this is an old, unfulfilled pledge […]