Image courtesy of Fairfax County
Fairfax County has a strong dedication to protecting the environment as evidenced by a number of recent policies. The County eliminated the use of plastic bags for yard waste in February of this year and expanded its composting pilot program to several farmers markets, including the Mount Vernon Farmers Market.
On Tuesday, Fairfax County announced it is committing to go carbon neutral by the year 2040. This means that the County will remove as much carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from the atmosphere as is emitted from its government operations, including buildings, facilities and transportation.
At the same time, the County introduced an updated Operational Energy Strategy and urged other counties to make the same commitment through a “Carbon Neutral Counties” declaration.
“Climate change is a global concern, but it must be addressed at the local level if we are going to make real progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck. “The Carbon Neutral Counties declaration formalizes our commitment to responsible, sustainable county operations and encourages other counties to do the same. The power of this declaration lies in its potential to serve as a roadmap for others, to create real forward momentum.”
Fairfax County’s commitment to carbon neutrality is the result of the work of the Joint Environmental Task Force, which was created by the Board of Supervisors and the School Board.
Some of the practical steps that the County will take to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions include reducing energy use where possible, adopting renewable energy and converting diesel buses to electric or non-carbon emitting alternatives.
Find out more about the County’s commitment to the environment here.
