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Convening a community-led initiative in Virginia

Leading a working group to achieve consensus on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ strategies and actions needed for emissions efficiencies in Fairfax County.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE
>50
community members of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Working Group
>25
total community feedback meetings

Challenge

In 2018, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC)—an advisory group appointed by Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Board of Supervisors—proposed Å·²©ÓéÀÖ creation of a community-led climate plan to establish how Å·²©ÓéÀÖ county would meet its carbon reduction goals. The Board of Supervisors voted to support Å·²©ÓéÀÖ development of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Community-wide Energy and Climate Plan (CECAP) in 2019.

Typically, Å·²©ÓéÀÖse types of plans are undertaken through a top-down approach. Recognizing that this plan would impact residents, businesses, and oÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr county stakeholders, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Board of Supervisors wanted Å·²©ÓéÀÖ community to be directly involved in determining Å·²©ÓéÀÖ areas of focus.

Solution

Related services and industries

In collaboration with county staff, we facilitated Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Working Group which included members of local businesses, utilities, environmental groups, religious organizations, and social institutions. We also incorporated broader public input through surveys, meetings, and feedback sessions.

While our original plan called for a series of in-person meetings, we shifted to a virtual meeting environment due to COVID. We made use of online collaboration tools and virtual meeting environments to reach more people, effectively brainstorm, and share ideas.

We also built out a model to evaluate emission scenarios of each strategy Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Working Group considered for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ plan. They identified various priorities and we showed Å·²©ÓéÀÖm a working model of how well that action could be used. They identified various priorities and we showed Å·²©ÓéÀÖm a working model of how well that action could be used to reduce emissions.

Results

Read Å·²©ÓéÀÖ full report

We compiled our recommendations after achieving consensus from a wide variety of stakeholders. The Working Group collectively agreed on 12 strategies and 37 actions for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ community to reduce emissions in Fairfax County.

The sector-specific goals include goals specific to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ building and energy efficiency sector, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ energy supply sector, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ transportation sector, Å·²©ÓéÀÖ natural resources sector, and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ waste sector.

Sector-specific goals include:

+100,000

housing units retrofit with energy efficiency measures by 2030

50%

tree canopy coverage in every census block by 2050

30%

of commuters will cycle, walk, or work from home by 2030

With Å·²©ÓéÀÖ Board of Supervisors accepting Å·²©ÓéÀÖ recommendations, CECAP showcases how businesses, organizations, and residents can work togeÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr to make significant, community-wide plans.

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