Maurice Carter on Community Climate Action: A Climate Digest Interview

Chapters

00:00 Meet Maurice Carter 

00:25 Introducing Sustainable Newton 

03:21 How the Drawdown Georgia Framework Shaped Sustainable Newton’s Work 

09:33 Advice for Starting a Local Climate Organization 

11:48 How Student Partnerships Multiply Sustainable Newton’s Impact 

21:28 How Sustainable Newton Centers Equity 

29:58 What’s Giving Maurice Carter Hope

In Newton County, a group of dedicated volunteers is proving that you don’t need a large staff or massive budget to create meaningful local climate action. Sustainable Newton, founded in 2018, exemplifies the power of community-driven initiatives to advance Georgia-specific climate solutions through collaboration, resourcefulness, and a focus on enabling others to take action.

In this edition of the Georgia Climate Digest interview series, host Eriqah Vincent sits down with Sustainable Newton co-founder and president Maurice Carter to talk about how the organization is bringing climate solutions home to Newton County.

How Did the Drawdown Georgia Framework Shape Sustainable Newton’s Work?

When Sustainable Newton was founded, the group knew they wanted to focus on solutions, but which ones would be most effective for their community? The Drawdown Georgia climate solutions framework provided clarity. “It helped us simplify for our own [use], where do we prioritize,” Maurice explains. “But it also made it easier for us to explain ourselves.” The Drawdown Georgia Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trackers later gave the organization county-specific data, including the fact that transportation drives roughly 54 percent of Newton County’s emissions, to back up their advocacy with local policymakers and businesses.

How Are University Students Multiplying Sustainable Newton’s Impact?

One of Sustainable Newton’s most effective strategies has been partnering with graduate students through Georgia Tech’s Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, Yale, and the University of Georgia. These partnerships have produced a full analysis of the City of Covington’s vehicle fleet, a survey of local businesses’ interest in Drawdown Georgia solutions, and a study of community attitudes toward climate change, all at no cost to the all-volunteer nonprofit.

How Does Sustainable Newton Center Equity?

Through partnerships with the Covington Housing Authority and Go Georgia, Sustainable Newton works to make sure solutions like energy efficiency, renewable energy, and active transportation reach every part of the community, not just those who can most easily afford them. One project used a Meta community action grant to install rooftop solar for a nonprofit serving disadvantaged families, cutting costs the organization could redirect straight back into serving families and children.

Whether you’re looking to start your own local climate organization or just want to see what community-led climate action looks like in practice, this conversation offers a grounded, practical playbook.

What You’ll Learn

• How the Drawdown Georgia framework helped an all-volunteer nonprofit prioritize which climate solutions to focus on.
• How local emissions data strengthened Sustainable Newton’s advocacy with policymakers and businesses.
• How partnerships with Georgia Tech, Yale, and UGA students have multiplied the organization’s impact.
• How a walking audit and a rooftop solar project helped center equity in Sustainable Newton’s work.Li
• Maurice’s advice for anyone looking to start a local climate organization in their own community.
• What gives Maurice Carter hope about climate progress in Georgia.

Continue reading in our companion blog to learn more about how Sustainable Newton is leveraging Drawdown Georgia solutions, tools, and resources to guide their locally focused climate efforts.

Download the Interview Transcript

Prefer to read the conversation instead? Download the complete PDF transcript of this interview with Maurice Carter to explore his insights on community-led climate action, data-driven advocacy, and building local partnerships.