Welcome to the 2026-27 academic year at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business! Whether you’ve partnered with us for years or you’re just joining us as a new student, faculty member, or industry partner – we’re genuinely glad you’re here.
Our Center is committed to empowering the leaders of tomorrow to create sustainable businesses and communities. This mission lives at the intersection of rigorous scholarship and real-world impact, and it directly advances Scheller College and Georgia Tech’s shared commitment to developing leaders in progress and service. Every activity we pursue serves our larger goal of training the next generation of leaders. On top of that, we are helping the businesses and communities of today become more resilient and sustainable.
Summer Highlights: Carbon Reduction Challenge and Georgia Carbon Exchange
Our work doesn’t pause in the summer months. We’ve been busy, and we’re eager to share a couple of highlights.
This summer marked a milestone for one of our signature student-facing programs. We welcomed the tenth group of participants in the Carbon Reduction Challenge (Challenge), which we run in partnership with the Georgia Tech College of Sciences. In their summer internships, college students volunteered (on top of their regular internship duties) to research and pitch emissions-reduction projects to their employers. They learned how to build the business case for projects that are both environmentally meaningful and financially sound.
Since its founding, the Challenge has engaged more than 220 students across roughly 60 partner organizations, and 75% of the alumni who responded now work in sustainability-related roles. If this year’s projects are implemented, they represent nearly 7 million pounds of projected CO2e reductions and $1.8 million in projected annual cost savings. Ten years in, the Challenge continues to prove that connecting talented students with willing industry partners is one of the most effective levers we have for real-world impact.
Another project we launched last year – the Georgia Carbon Exchange – accelerated its work this summer. Last year, our initiative caught the attention of national news media, including Marketplace from American Public Media. Georgia’s working forests are an economic and environmental cornerstone – cleaning water for 57% of the state’s citizens, offsetting 27% of its carbon emissions, and sustaining rural communities. However, that asset is under real pressure. Last year alone, Georgia lost three pulpwood mills, wiping out $3 billion in economic impact and roughly 6,000 jobs. On top of that, declining timber markets make selling to developers increasingly attractive to landowners.
The Center and partners are building a market-based response. The Georgia Carbon Exchange is a first-of-its-kind state carbon credit program connecting the state’s forest landowners to corporate buyers. We’re making noteworthy progress. Nearly 3,100 landowners have been engaged through outreach events. If your organization is exploring advance market commitments or ways to invest in Georgia's forests, land, and rural communities, reach out to Lucas Clay to learn more.
Upcoming Opportunities
Calling all students! Applications are open for our 2026–27 Graduate Sustainability Fellows and Undergraduate Sustainability Ambassadors program. Each year, we invite a select group of students to deepen their engagement in sustainability by tackling real-world challenges alongside partners. The application period closes September 12, 2026, at 12 p.m. Apply here.
Students from all majors can now pursue a sustainable business minor. The 15-credit hour minor offers a unique opportunity to explore sustainable business practices, decision-making frameworks, and innovative models that align profitability with purpose. Courses will span topics such as sustainable supply chains, business ethics, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability reporting. Learn more.
Does your SME want to learn more about energy management and reporting? Join us for the second cohort of the Energy Management & Reporting course, launching September 30! This fully funded executive education course teaches managers, sustainability leads, and operations professionals how to measure and manage their company’s energy use and emissions, reduce energy costs, and meet emerging reporting requirements. To learn more, contact Allison Bridges.
Do you want to work with Georgia Tech talent? Our students partner with companies to take on real-world sustainability challenges and develop practical, actionable solutions. Our Graduate Sustainability Fellows, Undergraduate Sustainability Ambassadors, and practicum students can bring fresh ideas and leadership to company projects at the intersection of business and sustainability. To learn more about working with our students, reach out to Kjersti Lukens.
More Ways to Join Us
We’ve provided just a glimpse of what’s ahead. This year, we’re also continuing to grow SUSTAIN-X, our mentorship program for students building startups with environmental and social impact. We’re running the Sustainable Business Consulting Practicum in Atlanta this fall, with an International Practicum traveling to Rwanda in Spring 2027. We support Scheller faculty who are researching sustainable business or infusing sustainability into their courses. We offer small grants to help students participate in sustainability-related activities, including conferences and internships. We welcome businesses to join the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact – a consortium of companies committed to helping our state reach net zero carbon emissions. Simply put, there’s a place for you here, whatever your role and wherever your interests lie.
We could not do our work without the support of our students, faculty, staff, and industry partners – and we’d love for you to be part of it this year. Whether you’re looking to mentor a student, host a practicum project, apply for a program, invest in Georgia’s forests, or simply learn more about what we do, reach out. We can’t wait to see where this year takes us together.
With gratitude,
Andre Calmon
Faculty Director
Michael Oxman
Managing Director