Former city of Toronto mayor David Miller will present “Nations Talk. Cities Act.” as part of the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) Speaker Series.
The talk will take place Thursday, Nov. 22, from 4 to 5:30pm, at 103 Life Sciences Building, Keele campus. The event is hosted by IRIS and the Undergraduate Political Science Council.
“Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities that comprise diverse residential, commercial and 
industrial activities. Increasing concern about climate change and energy security are driving the development of clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions,” says Miller, now counsel, international business and sustainability, Aird & Berlis LLP.
David Miller
“Cities will shape the future of the energy sector and they have the opportunity to be effective engines for change. Meeting this challenge will require innovative approaches to urban planning, development and infrastructure, and collaboration between government, business, and academia.”
As a leading advocate for the creation of sustainable urban economies, Miller assists Aird & Berlis with the development of its international clean tech and renewable energy practices. In addition to being a strong and forceful champion for the next generation of jobs through sustainability, Miller advises companies – and governments – on practical measures to make this happen.
Under his leadership as mayor from 2003 to 2010, Toronto became widely admired internationally for its environmental leadership, economic strength and social integration. As chair of the influential C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, from 2008 to 2010, Miller was instrumental in demonstrating the practical and real change cities are already making and can continue to make as they fight climate change and create sustainable employment. He continues that work today with the World Bank, OECD, UNEP and other national and international organizations to strengthen the capacity of city governments worldwide to act.
In addition, Miller is the Future of Cities Global Fellow at Polytechnic Institute of New York University. He is a member of the David Suzuki Foundation Board, an honorary director of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and chair of Cape Farewell North America. Most recently, he was appointed by the Canadian Counsel of Academies to chair an expert panel on “The Potential for New and Innovative Uses of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) for Greening Canada.”
Miller is a Harvard University trained economist and professionally a lawyer.
For more information, visit the IRIS website. To watch the talk electronically, click here.