Projects: Drawdown: Solutions to Promote Carbon Neutrality

Drawdown Georgia Phase One

2019-20: Selecting High Impact GA Solutions

1. Overview

2. Technical Review of 75 possible solutions for Georgia

The Academic Research team presented the findings of the carbon sinks and Mt CO2 reductions that are technically feasible to reach achieve a net zero GHG footprint and sell excess credits into carbon offset markets.

Achievable Potential
Download the 50-page slide deck of Drawdown Georgia

The Drawdown Georgia project was spotlighted in a half-day of activities at the August 6, 2020, Southface Institute’s Greenprints Conference. The project was introduced by John Lanier (Ray C. Anderson Foundation) and Daniel Rochberg (Emory University), then described in some detail by Marilyn Brown (Georgia Tech). Five high-profile Drawdown Georgia solutions were then introduced: Rooftop Solar (Marilyn Brown), Demand Response (Matt Cox), Composting (Sudhagar Mani), Retrofitting (Shane Totten), and Electric Vehicles (Rich Simmons). Before breaking into discussion sessions, Michael Oxman (Georgia Tech) described the Beyond Carbon considerations. The break-out discussions were synthesized in Miro Boards – characterizing Accelerators, Barriers, Beyond Carbon, and Promising Approaches. The participants offered lots of ideas and insights, which was a key goal of the event.

 

3. Down-select High Impact Solutions

working paper
47 Page Narrative of the Research Process
Appendix Thumbnail
Appendix of Technical Briefs

Read the Working Paper and Appendix

This working paper (on left) describes the first phase of our research, involving a fact-based assessment of Project Drawdown's solutions, to identify those that could significantly reduce Georgia’s carbon footprint by 2030.  The Appendix (on right) includes logic diagrams, info sheets, and references describing 75 individual solutions. Below is a quick reference of the 20 high impact solutions, organized by sector, which are retained for further research into costs and benefits required for carbon drawdown.

 

Down-selection flow chart
Down-selection flow chart

4. Detailed Analysis of 20 High Impact Solutions

20 Tech Briefs and Powerpoint Presentations 

Electricity

  • Cogen iconCogeneration   
    16 additional 25 MW cogen plants using waste heat to generate electricity

  • Demand Response iconDemand Response   
    187,000 households participate in a demand-response program, reducing 10% of their peak demand

  • Home with solar panelRooftop Solar  
    295,000 new 5 KW home solar systems

  • Large scale solar iconLarge-Scale Solar 
    10 additional 100 MW solar farms and 36 additional 5 MW community solar systems 

  • Landfill methane iconLandfill Methane 
    4 typical landfill facilities with 5 MW gas-to-energy systems


Transportation


Buildings & Materials


Food & Agriculture

  • Composting IconComposting  
    Divert ~2 million tons of organic wastes including food waste from landfilling to composting by 2030
  • Conservation Agriculture IconConservation Agriculture  
    Adapt additional 1.6 million acres of croplands into conservation agriculture practices in Georgia
  • Tomato and Carrot Plan IconPlant-Rich Diet 
    25% of Georgia population shifts to plant-rich or low-carbon diets 
  • Reduced Food Waste IconReduced Food Waste 
    Reduce about 12% of current food waste 

Land Sinks

 

5. Directory to Multi-Disciplinary Workgroups

Six sector workgroups are comprised of faculty, researchers, and graduate students at four universities: Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Emory University, and Georgia State.

Activities:

1. Hosted a Workshop at the Kendeda Living Building, Georgia Tech, November 6th, 2019 

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2. Presented workplans and preliminary results at the 2019 Georgia Climate Conference, Emory University

Current Phase: Activating and Tracking Drawdown Solutions

1. Short List of Solutions