Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is in Paris this week to take part in the United Nations climate change summit. He's part of a delegation of 12 U.S. mayors and local officials attending the event and says cities play a special role in the climate change fight.

Cities are major drivers of climate change. The U.N. says cities produce more than 60 percent of the world's carbon dioxide and high levels of other greenhouse gasses, but Reed says cities are well-equipped to do something about it.

"In order for me to make a policy shift, I need to make a decision myself, and I need the support of eight members of the Atlanta City Council. You don't have that kind of efficiency at the state level, and you certainly don't have it at the federal level," he says.

He also says people that live in cities tend to pay special attention to the issue of climate change.

"Most folks who live in cities care about having clean air and are more forward thinking in terms of developing solutions that relate to having clean air and clean water," he says.

For its part, Reed says Atlanta has reduced its water use by 20 percent and will be installing solar panels on firehouses and recreation centers. The city has also committed 100 million square feet of space to the Better Buildings Challenge, a U.S. Department of Energy effort to make buildings more energy efficient.

Tags: Kasim Reed; climate change; Atlanta: Paris