Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open to visitors by appointment only. Please call or email from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
703-324-7136 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 533
Fairfax, VA 22035
John Morrill
Director

OES: Reducing Greenhouse Gases

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: 26% reduction in FY 2023 compared to the FY 2018 baseline.


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 (45%), fossil fuel vehicles (40%) and use of natural gas in buildings (15%).

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.

Scopes of emissions as greenhouse carbon gas calculation
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). Location-based emissions are emissions based on the average emission intensity of the local power grid. In FY23, Scope 1 emissions represented 55% of county government’s total emissions, with the remaining 45% from Scope 2.

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.

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 isn’t alone in setting ambitious, portfolio-wide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

The Better Climate Challenge is a program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that challenges organizations and municipalities to reduce their greenhouse gas emission from buildings by at least 50% within 10 years.

By participating in the Better Climate Challenge, organizations can tap into the Better Buildings network, engage with other leaders, access peer-to-peer exchange opportunities, and leverage technical assistance from DOE and the national labs.

Fairfax County joined in 2022 and is one of over 200 organizations committed to the program. By joining, the county agreed to:

  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their U.S. building or plant portfolio by at least 50% over 10 years. To be a goal achiever, organizations must meet the 50% reduction target without using greenhouse gas offsets.
  • Pursue an energy efficiency target to demonstrate how their organization is prioritizing building performance as a decarbonization strategy.
  • Participate in at least one working group to discuss barriers, exchange best practices, and identify solutions. 
  • Develop an organization-wide plan with greenhouse gas emissions reduction milestones. 
  • Share portfolio-wide energy performance and Scope 1 and 2 emissions data for the duration of the 10- year goal timeframe. For organizations with leased assets, also include any tenant emissions that are considered Scope 3.

Since implementing the Operational Energy Strategy, Fairfax County has achieved 26% emissions reductions since the baseline of fiscal year 2018 (FY 2018).

While some of the change in emissions is weather-driven, the county saw a 18% reduction in Scope 1 emissions through energy efficiency and electrification projects in budlings and by increasing fuel economy with more modern, electrified vehicles. Fairfax County has also achieved a 34% reduction in its Scope 2 emissions, due in large part to a cleaner supply of electricity.

 

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).


Operational Energy Strategy (OES)

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 Lower Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Visit our Resources for Residents, Resources for Businesses, and Resources for Organizations pages to find county programs and materials to support climate action – from videos featuring local climate champions to checklists with simple climate action you can take to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resiliency to climate change. 



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