Find the latest Georgia Tech sustainability news and research here.

Side‑by‑side image showing a portrait photo on the left and a book cover on the right. The left image shows an individual standing outdoors among trees, wearing a dark jacket over a light shirt, while the right image displays the book Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet with bold red title text and illustrated ocean waves and ice formations. The book cover also includes the author name Kate Marvel at the bottom.
May 27, 2026

Clough Lecture Highlights the Human Side of Climate Science

3 min read
The Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2026 Clough Lecture, co-sponsored by BBISS, featured Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and author.
Read More
Portrait of an individual photographed outdoors, shown from the shoulders up and wearing a dark red top. The background includes a textured stone column, greenery, and part of a building with a window visible behind the subject.
May 27, 2026

Data Centers, Microbes, and the Future of Water Reuse

5 min read
Metro Atlanta has become a magnet for hyperscale data centers and securing enough cooling water with wastewater reuse has unknown public health risks.
Read More
Aerial view of a large industrial facility with multiple blue cylindrical cooling towers arranged in rows, releasing visible steam into the air. The structures are connected by metal walkways, pipes, and equipment, with a darker building facade behind them. Green grass and patches of standing water are visible in the distance beyond the facility.
May 25, 2026

BBISS Insights Series Reflection: Demystifying Data Centers — Water

3 min read
A recent BBISS seminar focused on the issue of water and data centers, bringing together perspectives from engineering, utilities, and infrastructure planning.
Read More
A salt marsh waterway is lined by cord grasses, sand, and trees. The sunny cerulean sky is dotted with clouds.
May 18, 2026

Georgia’s Tomorrow Awarded National Climate Resilience Grant

5 min read
The award is one of ten in a new $3.4 million fund to leverage genetic rescue for marine and coastal ecosystems under threat from climate shifts.
Read More
Collage of multiple individual portrait photos arranged in a grid, showing people photographed from the shoulders up in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Backgrounds include office spaces, greenery, campus walkways, and neutral studio backdrops, with individuals wearing professional or business‑casual clothing. The images vary in lighting and composition but share a consistent head‑and‑shoulders portrait style.
May 4, 2026

2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grants Awarded

3 min read
This year’s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech’s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges
Read More
Left: panelists Cindy Lin, Celine Benoit, Matthew Williams, Ding Wang, and Kahil Bostick. Center: Michael Best and Verghese Jacob. Right: panelists Allen Hyde, Michael Czajkowski, Zachary Hansen, and Donnie Beamer. Not pictured: Peter Hubbard who joined virtually.
April 29, 2026

Workshop Explores Policy Needs as Data Centers Surge in Georgia

3 min read
Georgia Tech hosted an event on April 21 examining the rapid expansion of data centers and the social and policy issues emerging alongside the growth of AI infrastructure.
Read More
Side‑by‑side comparison graphic showing two hurricane forecast visualizations. The left panel, labeled ‘Conventional Hurricane Map,’ displays a white cone of uncertainty over the Atlantic Ocean and southeastern United States with dated forecast points for Hurricane Florence, while the right panel, labeled ‘Inclusive Hurricane Map,’ shows a red shaded impact corridor over Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina with a storm track line and icons indicating storm categories near cities such as Atlanta, T
April 22, 2026

Communicating During a Crisis

5 min read
The Center for Inclusive Climate Communication (CICC) at Georgia Tech is a new and growing consortium of researchers, organizations, agencies, and companies whose goal is to ensure that climate and disaster information of all types is widely accessible.
Read More
AI rendering of the servers inside of a data center
April 21, 2026

Georgia Is Building for an AI Future That May Not Happen

3 min read
The state is spending $16 billion to power data centers that could be obsolete in seven years. Two Georgia Tech researchers say residents will pay for that gamble either way.
Read More
Aerial view of a datacenter with air conditioner compressor fans on the roof of the building
March 30, 2026

EPIcenter Launches Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub

2 min read
The Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPIcenter) at Georgia Tech has launched an interactive tool to help communities navigate the dynamic land-use and policy landscape surrounding data center development: the Georgia Data Center Ordinance Hub.
Read More
Large group of people standing and seated in a bright industrial-style indoor space, gathered on and around a metal staircase and long tables. The setting includes exposed beams, railings, overhead lighting, and tables with notebooks, cups, and coats visible in the foreground.
March 25, 2026

Atlanta Area Students Partner With Community Organizations for Research Projects

4 min read
The Atlanta Community-Engaged Research Student Network launched this semester to train graduate students to co-lead community-engaged and locally focused research along with community-based organizations.
Read More

In the Press

The Conversation
Sargassum, the smelly nemesis of beach vacations, has become a self‑sustaining disaster that will keep coming back
Ledger-Enquirer
All Georgia Data Center Ordinances — From Most to Least Restrictive
The Conversation
How Sewage Treatment Plants Could Handle Food Waste, Sparing Landfills and the Climate
The Conversation
New Industry Standards and Tech Advances Make Pre-owned Electronics a Viable Holiday Gift Option
The Conversation
Companies are Still Committing to Net-zero Emissions, Even If It’s a Bumpy Road – Here’s What the Data Show
Public News Service
Culture, Conservation Thrive as Great Lakes Tribes Bring Back Wild Rice
The Conversation
Hurricane Helene Power Outages Leave Millions in the Dark – History Shows Poorer Areas Often Wait Longest for Electricity to be Restored
The Conversation
What is an Atlantic Niña? How La Niña’s Smaller Cousin Could Affect Hurricane Season
The Conversation
Ancient Rome Had Ways to Counter the Urban Heat Island Effect – How History’s Lessons Apply to Cities Today
The Conversation
The World’s Fourth Mass Coral Bleaching is Underway, But Well-connected Reefs May Have a Better Chance to Recover
The Conversation
Coral Reef Recovery Could Get a Boost From an Unlikely Source: Sea Cucumbers, the Janitors of the Seafloor
Axios Atlanta
Georgia's CO2 Emissions Efforts Need More Sunshine, Expert Says
Wired
Panasonic’s New Powder-Powered Batteries Will Supercharge EVs
Scientific American
Google Taps Hot Rocks to Cool Climate
AP News
Energy Department Tries to Boost US Battery Industry with Another $3.5 Billion in Funding

VISIT OUR RESEARCH NEWS CENTER

Read More at the Georgia Tech Research News Center.

The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems regularly releases content about sustainability research, faculty, and students. We highlight news from every corner of campus that demonstrates Georgia Tech's systems approach to sustainability research that improves the human condition.

More News