In a recent study, Microsoft and Cornell University researchers looked at how working from home in the United States affects the environment.
As it turns out, fully remote work can significantly benefit the planet.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, measured the energy and material use of fully remote, hybrid, and in-person work.
To quantify the potential reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with remote work, the researchers analyzed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage, residential and office energy consumption, commuting methods, and non-commute travel.
The data they used came from Microsoft, the American Time Use Survey, the National Household Travel Survey, and the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
While focused on the United States, the study “provides a conceptual framework applicable for analyzing other countries,” the researchers write.
Going Remote, Going Green
Compared to people working in-office full time, the researchers found that American employees who work from home all the time generate 54% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while those who work remotely for two to four workdays can reduce emissions by 11 to 29%.
Working from home one day a week, on the other hand, reduces emissions by only 2%.
“Occasional remote work may not provide significant climate change mitigation benefits for hybrid workers,” the researchers conclude, explaining that one day of remote work “has no benefits due to offsetting factors like more noncommute travel, home energy use, and commuting distance.”
Take non-commute travel, for instance: The less time workers spend in the office, the higher their non-commute-related travel emissions will be.
“An onsite worker commuting by train may have a lower carbon footprint than a hybrid worker driving alone to work,” write the researchers, proposing a switch from traditional buses or trains to electric ones as well as from conventional to electric cars.
The latter switch, they estimate, could reduce workers’ carbon footprint by 13 to 19%.
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According to the study, the emissions reduction of fully remote work is mostly a result of reduced office energy use and commuting. Remote work-related changes in IT, meanwhile, have “negligible” effects on worker emissions.
Thus, the study recommends encouraging people to use public transportation and car-sharing, optimizing buildings’ occupancy, and improving the energy efficiency of office buildings.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — Featured Photo Credit: Cottonbro studio.
