What is a ‘Metric Ton of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent?’
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major planet-warming (“greenhouse”) gas. In climate discussions, CO2 is typically measured in metric tons (MT, or MTCO2).
A metric ton is 1,000 kilograms (kg) or about 2,205 pounds (lb).
There are other potent greenhouse gases, like methane (the main component of natural gas) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs, used in refrigeration and cooling). Though they don’t last as long in the atmosphere, one ton of these gases has much greater effect on global warming than does one ton of CO2. So, for example, one ton of methane is counted as about 86 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e), for its effects over the first 20 years of its being leaked.
In 2020, emissions estimated for Falls Church were about 8.5 MTCO2e (about 18,700 lb) per person.
How much CO2 do our daily activities produce?
Driving | Gasoline for 10,000 miles per year at 25 mpg (400 gallons) | 7,500 lb (3.4 MTCO2) per year
Electricity | 863 kilowatt-hours per month for average City residential account in 2020. | 6,500 lbs (2.9 MTCO2) per year
Natural Gas | 868 therms/year of natural gas (2020 City average per residential account), plus leaked methane | 10,500 lbs (4.7 MTCO2e) per year
Except for electricity, the 8.5-MTCO2e-per-person average does not count emissions due to things we consume that are produced elsewhere and transported to City borders (e.g., food, manufactured items, construction materials, non-local services, etc.). Industrial and agricultural emissions are about 35 percent of the U.S. total; except for the light manufacturing work done in the City, these outside emissions are not counted in the City’s inventory.
Why Do the Little City’s Emissions Matter?
National and global emissions are affected by millions of daily decisions around the world. The climate crisis cannot be addressed if everybody decides their actions are too small to matter.
Reducing emissions can also help residents and businesses save on energy costs and taxes.
The City is a member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (often called COG), which includes 23 other regional jurisdictions reaching from Frederick County, Maryland, to Prince William, Virginia and Charles County, Maryland. In October 2020, the MWCOG Board of Directors adopted a resolution to align its 2030 reduction goals with the level of effort called for by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F). Successful programs and policies demonstrated in Falls Church may be replicable in other COG jurisdictions, multiplying the benefits of our efforts.
For more detailed data, see Falls Church Greenhouse Gas Inventory - 2005-2020 (Google Sheet).
In 2020, emissions from commercial and transportation were reduced by the pandemic, but there has been a significant rebound in activity since then.
In 2018, Falls Church’s sources of emissions were:
On-Road Vehicles | 37 percent
Buildings: Electricity | 35 percent (23 percent commercial + 12 percent residential)
Buildings: Natural Gas | 16 percent (11 percent residential + 5 percent commercial)
Off-Road Engines and Air Travel | 6 percent
Leaks: Natural Gas and Refrigerants | 5 percent
Solid Waste Burned at Lorton Waste-to-Energy Plant | 1 percent
Key points:
MWCOG collects data from utilities for natural gas and electricity sales, so FCCAN believes these estimates to be fairly accurate.
From 2018 to 2020, emissions per kilowatt-hour of electricity became about 16 percent cleaner as coal use decreased. Total 2020 emissions were reduced greatly by pandemic shutdowns.
Vehicle emissions are rather uncertain, because it is not possible to measure fuel use from vehicles traveling in the City (including vehicles registered in and outside of the City). MWCOG estimates miles traveled and fuel use over a much larger survey area, then allocates a portion of the total to the City. Emissions from all vehicles passing through the City, regardless of residency, are included in the estimates. Emissions from City residents’ and businesses’ vehicle traveling outside the City are not included.
Electricity use in school and government buildings is less than 5 percent of total electricity use. That is included in “Commercial.”
Falls Church’s Greenhouse Gas Footprint
Every two to three years, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) works with the City of Falls Church to produce an inventory of estimated greenhouse emissions. Scroll down to see details, or click these to jump to the other topics:
As shown below, nearly 90 precent of Falls Church GHGs come from energy used for transportation and residential and commercial buildings.
Falls Church Greenhouse Gas Trends
