Speakers

Michael Totten is Conservation International’s (CI) chief adviser on climate and water. His passion is to share information with everyone he meets about what they can do to curb climate change, promote the well-being of ecosystems, and make our Earth a healthier, more vibrant place. Over the years Totten has done everything from promoting energy efficiency initiatives in developing countries to drafting groundbreaking climate change legislation in his efforts to improve the effects human societies have on nature. His current project is with Google.org's Climate and Energy team, focusing on ways to promote solutions that achieve climate protection, as well as other benefits like protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable livelihoods. He also works with key organizations from the corporate sector to minimize their environmental footprint and is an expert on what can be done to avert further global warming and mitigate its effects. Additionally, his work at CI focuses on developing carbon offset projects that benefit biodiversity and local communities as well as as capturing greenhouse gases, and Totten is also expert in promoting watershed protection and highly efficient ways of delivering ecosystem services.