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David Miller

Speaker Exclusive

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Leading Authority on City-Based Solutions to Climate Change

A politician, lawyer and author, David Miller is a leading thinker on urban issues.  He advocates for the creation of sustainable urban economies and is a champion for the creation of the next generation of green jobs. He’s currently the Director of International Diplomacy at the C40 Climate Leadership Group.

Keynote Speeches

The Modern Green Economy & Climate Change

Cities worldwide are taking strong and effective measures to create a modern green economy and fight climate change. There is a myth that doing the right thing for the environment can only be done at the cost of the economy: in fact the opposite is true. Activist Mayors, business and residents of the worlds major cities are not waiting for national governments international agreements, they are creating the next generation of low carbon jobs while fighting climate change with strong, effective measures.

 

Implementing Growth Strategies based on Successful Campaigns used World-Wide

Cities worldwide face similar challenges – how to create prosperity, livability, and opportunity for all. Under the leadership of David Miller, Toronto made huge strides in growing it’s economy, facing difficult environmental challenges, and ensuring that all residents could participate in it’s success. Starting with the idea that to be environmentally, socially, and economically successful a city must grow inside it’s boundaries, not by sprawl, under the leadership of David Miller, Toronto created and implemented strategies like the Agenda for Prosperity, Transit City, and Change Is In the Air that helped create a significant building boom, a stronger economy, and an environmentally and socially sustainable city.

 

Business Lessons on Innovative Leadership

Does a Mayor known nationally as a downtown Toronto lefty have lessons for business? In Toronto’s case, under the leadership of Mayor David Miller, the answer is yes! Through innovative leadership, a public private partnership in which the business community actually wrote the city’s economic development strategy, and the innovative use of tax policy, the City of Toronto helped to create tens of thousands of jobs – and helped to refocus and rebuild a City that had been in decline. To paraphrase former New York Mayor La Guardia, there is no left or right job, only jobs. Come learn about the innovations from Toronto that have helped businesses to succeed.

While Nations Talk, Cities Act
In this presentation, David Miller discusses the worldwide leadership role of cities who are using smart environmental policies to effectively address environmental, economic and social issues.

 

While Nations Talk, Cities Act

In this presentation, David Miller discusses the worldwide leadership role of cities who are using smart environmental policies to effectively address environmental, economic and social issues.

 

Audience reviews:

  • Mr. Miller was just perfect! He was most gracious and his presentation was very informative and supported our theme well. He took time to talk to all those who wanted to take a bit of his time and he was more than willing. I don’t think he got too much to eat for lunch with the constant hand shaking and greetings from his ‘fans’! We had a record attendance at this conference and I do believe that Mr. Miller had something to do with it.

    - Vice President, Executive Council, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects
  • He was so easy to work with and is such an excellent speaker. He really touched on things relevant to the audience and brought his expertise and knowledge to the table...Overall, we were absolutely very happy with David, he is such a lovely person too so that is always a huge plus!

    - Holcim Canada Inc
  • The event went incredibly smoothly and it was a great day of dialogue on the topic.

    - Siemens Canada Limited
  • David was an inspirational mayor of Toronto and played a pivotal role in creating C40 so it is a tremendous honor that he has now chosen to join us, supporting our member cities in North America. We will benefit greatly from his experience, his strategic thinking, and his commitment to inclusive and sustainable cities. - Mark Watts, C40 Executive Director
  • The feedback has been excellent. I have been stopped on the street twice to be told how much people enjoyed what you had to say.

    - Boston University

Speaker Biography

David Miller is a leading voice in seeking out and promoting climate change solutions. His roles have included that as Mayor of Canada’s largest city, Chair of the influential c40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and President & CEO of World Wildlife Fund – Canada.

He is a lawyer who graduated from Harvard in Economics and has an Honourary Doctorate in Environmental Studies from Waterloo University. He is also a former Fellow at New York University Tandon School of Engineering.

He is currently the Director, International Diplomacy at the C40 Climate Leadership Group. C40 is the leading global network of cities committed to addressing climate change in order to improve the health of our people, our cities, and our planet.  The organization connects more than 90 of the world’s greatest cities, representing over 650 million people and one-quarter of the global economy.

While Mayor of Toronto (2003-2010), under his leadership, Toronto became widely admired internationally for its environmental leadership, economic strength and social integration. Miller is a leading advocate for the creation of sustainable urban economies, and a strong and forceful champion for the next generation of jobs through sustainability.

Prior to joining the C40, Mr. Miller served as President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund-Canada, Canada’s foremost conservation organization. The WWF creates solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive.

In his former capacity as Counsel, International Business & Sustainability at Aird & Berlis LLP, Mr. Miller advised companies and international organizations on issues surrounding the creation of sustainable urban economies.