Convening a community-led initiative in Virginia
Leading a working group to achieve consensus on the strategies and actions needed for emissions efficiencies in Fairfax County.
Challenge
In 2018, the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC)—an advisory group appointed by the Board of Supervisors—proposed the creation of a community-led climate plan to establish how the county would meet its carbon reduction goals. The Board of Supervisors voted to support the development of the Community-wide Energy and Climate Plan (CECAP) in 2019.
Typically, these types of plans are undertaken through a top-down approach. Recognizing that this plan would impact residents, businesses, and other county stakeholders, the Board of Supervisors wanted the community to be directly involved in determining the areas of focus.
Solution
In collaboration with county staff, we facilitated the 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 the Working Group considered for the plan. They identified various priorities and we showed them a working model of how well that action could be used. They identified various priorities and we showed them a working model of how well that action could be used to reduce emissions.
Results
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 the community to reduce emissions in Fairfax County.
The sector-specific goals include goals specific to the building and energy efficiency sector, the energy supply sector, the transportation sector, the natural resources sector, and the waste sector.
Sector-specific goals include:
+100,000
50%
30%
With the Board of Supervisors accepting the recommendations, CECAP showcases how businesses, organizations, and residents can work together to make significant, community-wide plans.