{"685842":{"#nid":"685842","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Georgia Tech Report Shows State Has Significantly Cut Emissions Amid Economic Expansion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has made major progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the past two decades, even as its economy more than doubled and its population added nearly 2.5 million people, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.drawdownga.org\/sign-up-now-to-receive-drawdown-georgias-statewide-emissions-report\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ea new report\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cepl.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate and Energy Policy Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/drawdownga.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrawdown Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report shows that between 2005 and 2024, statewide emissions fell by 33% while the carbon intensity of Georgia\u2019s economy dropped by more than two-thirds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon intensity of the economy is a way of measuring the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced per dollar of Gross Domestic Product. A lower carbon intensity indicates a greener economy, signifying progress in decoupling economic growth from the creation of carbon emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENet emissions fell from 141 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2005 to 92 megatons in 2024. Over the same period, Georgia\u2019s gross domestic product surged from $389 billion to $883 billion, a 127% increase. The average carbon footprint per person declined by nearly half, from 15.8 to 8.2 metric tons per capita.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis demonstrates that climate solutions and economic growth can go hand in hand,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/marilyn-a-brown\u0022\u003EMarilyn A. Brown\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u0027 Professor and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECarter School\u003C\/a\u003E and lead author of the report. \u201cBy transforming our electricity system, improving efficiency, and harnessing the power of our forests and wetlands, Georgia has achieved steep emissions cuts while building one of the fastest-growing economies in the country. To stay on this path, we must now turn more attention to transportation, natural gas use, and agriculture.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.drawdownga.org\/sign-up-now-to-receive-drawdown-georgias-statewide-emissions-report\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Peak to Progress: Shrinking the Carbon Intensity of Georgia\u2019s Economy and Society\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehighlights sector-by-sector trends:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElectricity:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Retiring more than 5,000 megawatts of coal-fired power and adding 5,000 megawatts of solar capacity helped cut emissions from the grid by more than half \u2014 improving both air quality and public health.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELand Sinks:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia\u2019s 22 million acres of forests and coastal wetlands offset nearly 27% of the state\u2019s emissions each year, making the state a national leader in natural carbon sequestration.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETransportation:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Now the largest source of emissions in Georgia, transportation produced nearly 60 megatons of CO2 equivalent in 2024. Freight growth and diesel fuel use remain major challenges, even as electric vehicle adoption has increased.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuildings \u0026amp; Industry:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Cleaner electricity reduced emissions from homes and businesses, but rising direct use of natural gas has slowed progress.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAgriculture:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Emissions have held steady overall, with reductions from improved soil management practices offset by increases in emissions from energy use and manure management.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohn A. Lanier, executive director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and a founding partner of Drawdown Georgia, said the findings show what is possible when Georgia embraces climate solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia has proven that reducing emissions strengthens our economy, creates jobs, and spurs technological innovation. Continuing this momentum and remaining a leader for the South in delivering climate solutions that benefit our environment, our health, and our communities requires intention and political will \u2013 I hope we will make the right choices to keep moving forward,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWilliam Drummond, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of City and Regional Planning, and contributor to the report, emphasized the importance of continued monitoring to understand the trends.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drawdownga.org\/tracker\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGreenhouse Gas Emissions Tracker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eallows us to see where progress is being made and where challenges remain,\u201d he said. \u201cThis kind of data is essential for policymakers, businesses, and communities to make informed decisions about the future of our state.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA version of this story \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.drawdownga.org\/georgia-reduces-carbon-intensity-of-its-economy\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Efirst appeared\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on the Drawdown Georgia website.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe research was led by Carter School Regents\u0027 Professor Marilyn A. Brown\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The research was led by Carter School Regents\u0027 Professor Marilyn A. Brown"}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2025-10-20 17:34:53","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:57:43","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678392":{"id":"678392","type":"image","title":"solar-panels.jpg","body":null,"created":"1760981700","gmt_created":"2025-10-20 17:35:00","changed":"1760981700","gmt_changed":"2025-10-20 17:35:00","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"262412","name":"solar-panels.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/20\/solar-panels.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/20\/solar-panels.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1114684,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/20\/solar-panels.jpg?itok=_UdaA9Hx"}}},"media_ids":["678392"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}