September 2025: Member Spotlight- Patrick King II
- Jordan Roberts
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
At Black Sustainability, Inc., we are proud to highlight the leaders in our network who are driving meaningful change across industries and communities. This September, our Member Spotlight shines on Patrick King II, an advocate, strategist, and movement builder dedicated to advancing clean energy and transportation equity in the Southeast.
Patrick currently leads the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) climate and energy work in Georgia, where his focus is on transitioning the region’s economy to clean energy while addressing deep-rooted inequities in environmental and energy systems. His approach blends policy advocacy, coalition building, and grassroots movement work to drive ambitious and effective solutions in power, transportation, building, and industrial sectors.
Patrick joined NRDC in 2023 as the Southeast Mobility Choices Advocate, spearheading efforts to expand low-carbon, equitable transportation options in Georgia and North Carolina. His career prior to NRDC also reflects a consistent commitment to justice: as Electric Transportation Equity Manager at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Patrick worked with environmental justice partners to advance equitable mobility policies, including playing a pivotal role in a campaign urging North Carolina to adopt the Advanced Clean Truck regulation.
A graduate of Louisiana State University and Tennessee State University, Patrick now calls Atlanta home, bringing his passion and expertise to the heart of the South’s evolving clean energy landscape. Patrick’s work comes at a pivotal moment. Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Georgia, responsible for 40.5% of the state’s total emissions. Despite this reality, Georgia has not yet adopted a statewide climate strategy or greenhouse gas reduction targets. In NRDC’s recent national transportation scorecard, Georgia ranked 35th out of 50 states, reflecting significant gaps in state planning and policy.
At the same time, Georgia has emerged as a national leader in attracting clean energy investments. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the state has secured nearly $12 billion in new projects across the green economy. This contradiction, major clean energy investments paired with limited statewide climate planning, illustrates the urgency of Patrick’s work and the need for leaders who can bridge gaps between opportunity and policy.
As Patrick and his colleagues at NRDC emphasize, achieving climate and equity outcomes requires:
Statewide Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals – Without clear targets, Georgia has no benchmarks to measure progress or accountability.
Equity in Transportation Planning – The Georgia Department of Transportation must integrate equity metrics into project approvals, ensuring that communities historically harmed or excluded from decision-making now have a voice in shaping their futures.
More Transportation Options – Georgia scored only 9.4 out of 34 points in expanding mobility choices. Prioritizing individual car travel perpetuates congestion and inequity, while greater investments in public transit, pedestrian, and cycling infrastructure would support healthier, more sustainable communities.
Patrick’s leadership represents exactly what Black Sustainability stands for: community-rooted, justice-centered approaches to sustainability and resilience. By addressing both policy gaps and structural inequities, his efforts are helping to ensure that the clean energy transition benefits all communities, not just the privileged few.
This September, we honor Patrick King II for his vision, commitment, and tireless advocacy in making Georgia and the Southeast more sustainable, equitable, and resilient for generations to come! THIS is Black Sustainability!