School of Public Policy Faculty Integral to Launch of Drawdown Georgia Business Compact

Posted October 12, 2021

The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business in the Scheller College of Business recently announced the launch of the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact. Members of the School of Public Policy contributed to research that was integral in developing the road map for Drawdown Georgia, which ultimately led to the development of the Compact.

The Compact will bring 13 companies together to spur climate action in Georgia to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the state by 2050 through a just, competitive, and sustainable transition. Marilyn Brown, Regents Professor and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy, led a multi-university research collaboration to evaluate 75 high-impact climate solutions, ultimately identifying 20 of these as particularly promising for Georgia over the next ten years.

“This research helped to fill an important void with a solution-oriented focus in a state that is anticipated to experience among the most severe climate change impacts to its economy, public health, and infrastructure,” said Brown.

Daniel Matisoff, associate professor in the School of Public Policy, and Laura Taylor, chair of the School of Economics, also contributed to the research along with faculty across Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering, the University of Georgia, and Emory University.

Members of the School of Public Policy are continuing their work with Drawdown Georgia, most recently with published studies explaining the slow diffusion of rooftop solar, demand response, and cogeneration in Georgia – three of the 20 high-impact solutions. Each is co-authored with Public Policy graduate students.

Continued research will aid in developing the Business Compact and help it and Drawdown Georgia achieve their goal of net zero emissions in the state by 2050. The official launch event is Thursday, Oct. 21 from 2-3 p.m. and is open to the public.