Ban Ki-moon spoke just before a state luncheon at the Governor's Mansion. CLICK HERE or on photo above for video.

The United Nations’ top official said combating global climate change is a top priority for the agency, and he’ll use lessons learned in Georgia to help promote conservation and environmental activism around the world.

“One of my greatest concerns as secretary-general is climate change,” said Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. chief since January 2007.  “No matter how hard I work on the international scene, I find global initiatives can succeed only when local communities take action as the state of Georgia is doing.”  

During a May 8 press conference at the Governor’s Mansion in Buckhead, Mr. Ban noted that Georgia’s smaller communities have showed innovative methods in dealing with the effects of drought. 

He said Clayton County’s system of water treatment using wetlands and reservoirs was especially impressive.

On April 24, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue launched the “Conserve Georgia” campaign, an initiative aimed at educating Georgia residents on the importance of taking care of the state’s natural resources. 

“If there is one benefit of Georgia’s record drought, it is the renewed emphasis on the importance of conservation in the daily lives of all Georgians,” Mr. Perdue said in a statement at the time.

Mr. Ban said Mr. Perdue’s call to conserve is a lesson that can and should be applied on a global scale.

“I travel the world trying to make this point, that we have a responsibility to care for our planet for future generations,” Mr. Ban said.

He also applauded the state’s efforts to safeguard land, promote recycling and curb energy consumption.

As a component of the Conserve Georgia campaign, the governor has pledged that the state will reduce its energy intake by 15 percent by 2020.  He has challenged the state’s schools, businesses and residents to do the same.

Mr. Ban visited Atlanta for three days on a tour that focused on global health and human rights issues. He met with leaders at the Carter Center, viewed Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s papers at the Atlanta University Center, and toured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With a global food crisis underway, he said that serious studies should be undertaken to determine the effects of the use of food crops for biofuel production on world food prices.

Last November, Broomfield, Colo.-based Range Fuels Inc. broke ground on what would be the first plant to commercially produce ethanol from cellulose, which is found in Georgia's abundant pine trees and is the structural element in all green plants.

In March, delegates from some nine international cities convened in Atlanta for an economic development forum on transportation and green space in municipal areas.

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