Climate and Air

Climate change is a significant challenge facing us today. The City of Fairfax is working to plan for and mitigate the impacts of climate change on our community.

The city is committed to reducing 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2050 and promoting the efficient use of energy by residents, businesses and government facilities to achieve a 55 percent reduction in energy use from 2018 baseline levels by 2050. The city is taking measures to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity for government operations by 2035 and community-wide 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050.

City of Fairfax Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

Car emissions The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) conducts GHG emission inventories for its member jurisdictions, including the City of Fairfax. Inventories have been conducted for 2005, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2023. These inventories cover emissions from the City of Fairfax community, including the city government.

City of Fairfax GHG Emissions Summary

The City of Fairfax community-wide net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 35% between 2005 and 2023, despite an 18% growth in population. Forests and trees result in the net sequestration of more than 5,800 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e) annually, or 2% of total emissions.

Below is the factsheet for the 2023 GHG inventory:

The regional GHG inventory can be found at the following link:

Greening the City Fleet

The City of Fairfax is working to reduce fuel consumption and air emissions of its vehicle fleet through a combination of upgrading fleet fuel efficiency, adding alternative fuel vehicles to the fleet, and looking for ways to reduce driving while still delivering a high level of service to the community.

  • Trash routes are planned to reduce diesel consumption.
  • Six city trash trucks have newer diesel technology.
  • Fleet Telematics: The city has equipped 87 fleet assets with telematics technology. This system helps monitor vehicle use, fuel consumption, idle time, maintenance needs, and driving patterns. The information allows the city to reduce unnecessary idling, improve route efficiency, schedule maintenance more effectively, and lower fuel use and emissions.
  • Fuel-Efficient Transit Buses: The city's 12 conventional transit buses use electrically powered engine-cooling fans instead of traditional engine-driven fans. This technology reduces the load on the engine, helping lower fuel consumption and emissions while improving overall operating efficiency.
  • Hybrid Police Vehicles: The city is transitioning its police interceptor fleet from conventional gasoline powertrains to hybrid models. Hybrid technology reduces engine idling, fuel consumption, and emissions while maintaining the performance and reliability required for law enforcement operations.
  • Electric Vehicles: The city currently operates three fully electric vehicles in its fleet. These vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions and help reduce fuel consumption, operating costs, and the city's overall environmental impact.
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