“Climate change is one of the most important issues we face nationally and internationally. It is critical that the voices of local government leaders, especially mayors, are represented during this gathering,” Reed said in a statement to the media. “I firmly believe that while the impact of climate change is global, many of the solutions are local. I look forward to sharing our work in the City of Atlanta with other municipal leaders from around the world, and to learning from them as well.”
Reed has made making the city more sustainable and green-friendly one of the hallmarks of his administration. He’s spoken at events both here and abroad on Atlanta’s efforts, including a project to increase its reserve water supply from three days to 90 days by turning the old Bellwood Quarry into a reservoir; the Solar Atlanta initiative that will see solar panels installed on 28 firehouses and recreation centers, lowering energy consumption by as much as 40 percent, and the Better Buildings Challenge, a national initiative to lower commercial energy consumption. Atlanta currently leads among participating cities in the challenge, with buildings representing more than 100,000 square-feet of office space involved.