Beyond Carbon: Equity
Equity
Successful climate solutions lift people up, ensure that all communities are at the table, and deliver benefits to those who are under-resourced. Focusing on equity ensures that community concerns are addressed and advantages widely shared.
As the chart illustrates, making solutions like rooftop solar and retrofitting affordable and accessible means more people have better access to clean energy. Retrofitting can also create jobs and business opportunities.
Largely Positive
Areas to Watch or Address
Limited Impacts or Limited Data
| Sector Solutions | Affordability | Workforce and Business Diversity |
Public Health Impacts |
Accessibility of Solutions |
Cultural Fit & Way of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Large Scale Solar
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Cogeneration
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Rooftop Solar
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Demand Response
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Landfill Methane
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| Sector Solutions | Affordability | Workforce and Business Diversity |
Public Health Impacts |
Accessibility of Solutions |
Cultural Fit & Way of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recycling/Waste Management
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Refrigerant Management
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Retrofitting
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| Sector Solutions | Affordability | Workforce and Business Diversity |
Public Health Impacts |
Accessibility of Solutions |
Cultural Fit & Way of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Composting
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Climate Smart Agriculture
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Plant-Based Diet
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Reduced Food Waste
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| Sector Solutions | Affordability | Workforce and Business Diversity |
Public Health Impacts |
Accessibility of Solutions |
Cultural Fit & Way of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wetlands Protection
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Planting Trees
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Forest Management
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| Sector Solutions | Affordability | Workforce and Business Diversity |
Public Health Impacts |
Accessibility of Solutions |
Cultural Fit & Way of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy Efficient Cars
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Energy Efficient Trucks
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Mass Transit
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Electric Vehicles
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Alternative Mobility
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Stories & Studies
Equity as a Compass for Taking Action on Climate
Georgia is the first state to take a localized approach to Project Drawdown, the ambitious blueprint for reversing climate change by scaling market-ready climate solutions. Drawdown Georgia is focused not just on scaling climate solutions, but doing so with
How the Justice40 Initiative Affects Equity and Climate Solutions
The Justice40 Initiative is a new federal effort that aims to invest in equitable climate solutions across the country. Let’s take a closer look at this initiative and what it could mean for communities in Georgia. Drawdown Georgia, Climate Solutions &
Illuminating Paths Forward: Women’s Leadership and Climate Justice
Until recently, the centrality of women to climate change - both in terms of the impacts and the solutions - was not widely understood in a comprehensive way. The research certainly existed to prove the negative impacts to women, especially women of color. And
Questions?
Why focus on refrigerants?
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are chemicals used to cool refrigerators and air conditioners. They are also an extremely potent greenhouse gas, with thousands of times the heat trapping potential of CO2. This class of chemicals was used to replace CFCs, a class of refrigerant chemicals that were phased out because they were depleting the ozone layer. In December 2020, Congress passed legislation to phase down HFCs nationwide by 40% by 2024 and by 85% by 2036. The phase down will be administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Which industries dominate in Georgia’s building products?
According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia is a leader in paper and pulp products, with an economic output of $13.1 billion in 2018, representing almost 20,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in annual wages and salaries.
What is our current recycling rate?
In 2011, Georgia recycled only approximately 0.7 million tons out of 10.6 million tons of MSW, or a recycling rate of about 6.6%. This is significantly below the U.S. average rate of 22.6% reported by the same study (Shin, 2014).
