Falls Church-based Don Beyer Volvo launched a major new environmental initiative this week, teaming with a Rockville-based clean energy company to buy Renewable Energy Credits (REC) with every car sold to offset with wind power each vehicle’s estimated first year of carbon emissions.

The new Beyer program, in partnership with Clean Currents LLC, is called “Green Your Drive.” In addition to former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Don Beyer, the CEO of Don Beyer Volvo, Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner and City Councilman David Snyder and Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross were present an the unveiling of the initiative Tuesday.

Every car purchased at Beyer’s Falls Church, Alexandria, Dulles and Winchester showrooms will trigger the dealership’s purchase of a carbon emission-offsetting REC. Each REC, being 100 percent wind powered, will offset an estimated 15,000 pounds of carbon emissions per vehicle per year.

Vehicle purchasers will have the option of choosing a “green upgrade” option for their vehicles, extending the purchase of REC’s to offset their vehicle’s carbon emissions in years two through five.

Don Beyer Volvo is described as one of the only wind-powered auto dealerships in the Washington, D.C., Metro region.

“We applaud Don Beyer Volvo for taking this innovative step with us to offer D.C. area consumers a constructive way to fight global warming,” said Gary Skulnik, president of Clean Currents. “Solving global warming requires all of us to take new actions and adopt new ideas. The ‘Green Your Drive’ program does exactly that.”

“Clean Currents showed us new ways to protect the environment while offering our customers an exciting new program,” said Jon Holl, general manager of Don Beyer Volvo.

Don Beyer Volvo and Clean Currents are also co-sponsors of the D.C. Velo Cycling Club, one of the region’s premier cycling clubs. Clean Currents has also partnered for similar arrangements with St. Mary’s College, the Congressional Bank, Morty’s Deli, the Lebanese Taverna, Bullis School, Strosniders Hardware, Greenpeace, Chesapeake Climate Action Networks and several businesses along Washington, D.C.’s U Street Corridor.

Beyer is currently a member of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s new commission on climate change. Gross is a member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Chesapeake Bay Policy Committee and also of Kaine’s climate change commission. Snyder is a member of the COG’s Climate Change Steering Committee and Metro Washington Air Quality Committee.