Drawdown Georgia Launches Solutions Tracker To Accelerate Equitable Climate Action Across the State

April 15, 2025 /3BL/ - Drawdown Georgia, the state’s premier science-based climate initiative, has launched the new Drawdown Georgia Solutions Tracker, an interactive online platform designed to help community leaders, civic officials, policy makers, and businesses better understand where climate solutions are taking root in Georgia—and where infrastructure and equity considerations may call for additional investments.

Grounded in the work of researchers at the Climate and Energy Policy Lab at Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy, the Solutions Tracker is part of the broader Drawdown Georgia initiative, which is focused on identifying and scaling the most effective carbon-reducing solutions for the state. The tracker offers users data-driven insights into how 16 of the 20 Drawdown Georgia solutions, like rooftop solar, recycling, composting, and energy-efficient transportation, are being adopted across Georgia’s 159 counties.

“Georgia has the opportunity to lead the South in scaling climate solutions that not only reduce emissions, but also improve lives and livelihoods,” said Dr. Marilyn A. Brown, Regents' Professor and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech and leader of the research team behind Drawdown Georgia. “The Solutions Tracker shows where climate progress is happening—and how it can be expanded to bring more benefits to more people.”

The Solutions Tracker includes side-by-side state maps. The first map allows users to explore the prevalence of the chosen solution by county, often with multiple variables to choose from. For example, in the “Retrofitting” solution, data is available on the percentage of homes that contain electric water heaters, heat pumps, LED lighting, and more. The second map offers data on a comparison variable chosen by the Drawdown Georgia research team for its relevance to the uptake of the selected solution, such as median household income or percentage of urban area.

The Solutions Tracker was designed by Dr. Brown to complement the Drawdown Georgia Emissions Tracker, designed by William Drummond, Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech. “Together the Trackers are a powerful combination with the capacity to identify locations where solutions are most needed, and where supporting infrastructure is available,” explained Dr. Brown. “Together, they allow anyone—citizens, city planners, business leaders—to see what's working where and identify where investments can do the most good."

Bright Spots and Scaling Success

The Tracker highlights several top-performing Drawdown Georgia climate solutions that are scaling quickly across Georgia, including:

• Energy-efficient vehicles and buildings, which are reducing emissions while saving Georgians money on fuel and electricity.
• Demand response programs, which help balance the power grid and lower peak energy costs.
• Recycling, with strong participation and industrial reuse infrastructure statewide.
• Large-scale solar, with deployments far exceeding projections, especially in rural counties.
• Composting, growing through partnerships with organizations like CompostNow, Goodr, and community schools.

Communities like Atlanta, Fulton County, Fort Benning, Avondale Estates, and Floyd County are featured as local leaders demonstrating the positive impact of these solutions—from improved air quality and healthier food systems to job creation and cleaner energy.

To learn where your county stands, use the Drawdown Georgia Solutions Tracker.

About Drawdown Georgia

Drawdown Georgia is a statewide research-based initiative launched in 2020 that was born from a multi-university collaboration, funded by the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Taking inspiration from Project Drawdown®, the world’s leading resource for taking action on climate change, Drawdown Georgia localized that work by identifying the 20 highest-impact solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our state over the next decade.

This framework focuses on climate solutions in five sectors: transportation, buildings & materials, food & agriculture, electricity, and land sinks. It considers how these solutions can reduce emissions and advance “beyond carbon” priorities, including equity, economic development, public health, and nurturing the larger environment.

Drawdown Georgia has grown into a “leader-full” movement, bringing together many organizations, universities, companies, leaders, and funders who are working to advance climate solutions in Georgia, including Drawdown Georgia Research, the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, Drawdown Georgia Congregations, and Drawdown Georgia Higher Education. Learn more at drawdownga.org.

GEORGIA CLIMATE SOLUTIONS REPORT

See this report that offers a snapshot of Georgia's best-performing climate solutions and the communities where they are scaling.