Fairfax County's Operational Energy Strategy sets an overall goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated by county facilities and operations in order to reach carbon neutrality by 2040. Carbon neutrality is defined as achieving a balance of carbon emissions — that is removing as much carbon dioxide (Co2) from the atmosphere as is emitted in a defined period of time.
Reaching this very ambitious goal will require substantial and coordinated effort across county government and will yield other important benefits over time, such as better local air quality, lower operating costs, and more comfortable buildings for staff and visitors.
On this page, you’ll find more information about Fairfax County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Target: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030, using FY 2018 as a baseline.
Progress: 25% reduction in FY 2025 compared to the FY 2018 baseline.
Learn About Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet warmer. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prominent, but methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapor and other gases also play a role. They let sunlight pass through the atmosphere, but they prevent the heat that the sunlight brings from leaving the atmosphere.
Human activities are responsible for the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years, with the largest source of emissions from burning fossil fuels for heat, electricity and transportation.
Fairfax County Government’s emissions are primarily from electricity, fossil fuel vehicles and use of natural gas in buildings.
Three Scopes of Emissions
In order to reduce emissions, it’s important to know where they come from. The three scopes of emissions are a way categorizing emissions that an entity creates in its own operations and in its wider “value chain” (customers and suppliers).
Essentially, Scope 1 are those direct emissions that are owned or controlled by an entity whereas Scope 2 and 3 indirect emissions are a consequence of the activities of the entity but occur from sources not owned or controlled by it.
Source: iStock
Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources – for example burning fuel in fleet vehicles.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from where the energy was purchased or produced – for example, the emissions caused by generating electricity used in buildings.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions, including upstream and downstream activities – for example, the emissions generated by buying products from suppliers.
Fairfax County Government tracks Scope 1 emissions and Scope 2 (location-based) emissions. Location-based emissions are emissions based on the average emission intensity of the local power grid. In FY23, Scope 1 emissions represented a majority of county government’s total emissions.
The county has begun a Scope 3 assessment, focusing on purchased goods and services, capital goods, and waste disposal. This assessment will inform the county of which of its purchasing categories cause the greatest emissions and how much influence the county might have to improve each. To learn more about the Scope 3 assessment, visit the Good and Services page.
The OES adopted in July 2021 is the framework for the county’s greenhouse gas reduction goals and strategies for county government activities. The OES calls for a 25% improvement in buildings energy efficiency by 2030, and a 50% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It also sets targets and actions across major focus areas – including building energy, on-site renewable energy and fleet electrification.
The county aims for net-zero energy new construction and has a robust energy performance contracting program in place for existing buildings. The county is also actively pursuing clean renewable electricity options including on-site installations and off-site procurement.
Light-duty vehicles that reach their end of life are replaced with electric vehicles, and staff are researching market trends to help guide electric and alternative fuel vehicles for heavy duty and specialty vehicles. Along with purchasing EVs, the county is installing EV charging stations at strategic locations for both county fleet and public charging.
Better Climate Challenge
Fairfax County joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge in 2022 and actively participated in the program, committing to deep, portfolio-wide emissions reductions and sharing data and best practices with peer organizations. The Better Climate Challenge concluded in 2025, but Fairfax County remains committed to pursuing its greenhouse gas reduction goals beyond the life of the program.
The graphic below shows the progress that has been made since implementing the Operational Energy Strategy in 2018 (FY18).
Annual greenhouse gas emissions are affected by many factors. Some are within the county’s control, like improving equipment efficiency and electrifying buildings and vehicles. Others, such as weather, the types of power plants generating our electricity, and how buildings and vehicles are used, are largely outside the county’s control. Even with these variables, the overall downward trend since FY 2018 shows that efforts to replace older building systems and vehicles with modern, more efficient options — combined with a cleaner electricity supply — are making a real difference.
Visit the county’s County Energy Data page to see annual greenhouse gas emission from energy use.
County Emissions Data
Curious how much electricity and natural gas is being used in Fairfax County facilities? The Fairfax County Government Energy Data page includes overall energy use, cost and emissions data for buildings and facilities managed by the county's Facilities Management Department (FMD) and Park Authority (FCPA).
The Operational Energy Strategy promotes cost-effective solutions and an energy-conscious culture for county government operations. The plan sets goals, targets and actions across major focus areas – including building energy and water use, fleet electrification, and waste management.
Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP)
CECAP is a community-driven plan that addresses the causes of climate change. The plan sets ambitious but achievable greenhouse gas reduction goals for our community, including an overarching goal to reduce our emissions by half by 2030 and achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050.
Ready to be more sustainable at home? Sign up for the Sustain Fairfax Challenge to track sustainable purchases and climate actions at the individual level.
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