Remote vs. In-person Work: An Environmental Discussion
Prior to the pandemic, conventional office spaces had been coined as critical to productivity and fostering company culture. The quick adoption of video conferencing technology flipped such a notion on its head, enabling many organizations to proceed with business as usual despite the many hurdles. With vaccination rates increasing across the country, many employees have been presented with the choice to return to the office, continue remotely, or choose a combination of both. McKinsey reported that forty-one percent of employees say they are more productive at home than in the office. Productivity, commute time, and public safety are just a few of the many considerations that employers and employees must weigh when choosing the best option moving forward. Another factor we encourage our audience to consider if presented with these choices is the environmental impact of their work location. Work from home (WFH) may seem to be the more sustainable option with zero commute and no office energy consumption, but it’s not that simple.
Environmental Considerations for WFH
Skipping the morning commute not only saves time, but also aids in saving the environment -- current telecommuters in the U.S. could avoid emitting 3.6 million tons of greenhouse gasses every year. This reduction in fossil fuels makes WFH the eco-friendlier option right off the bat.
A differing perspective to consider, however, comes from WSP UK, a leading engineering professional services consulting firm. Their research shows that remote work may only be more environmentally friendly in the summer. The carbon output of 200 UK-based workers showed that the impact of their remote work was higher than it would have been in the office due to the need to heat each of their individual buildings. If WFH is how you intend to proceed post-pandemic, we encourage you to consider implementing the following mitigation strategies:
Conducting an annual inspection on heaters, boilers, ovens, and laundry machines.
Installing smart devices and LED lighting.
Eliminating “vampire power” by unplugging appliances when not in use.
These strategies will help to make sure that the environmental benefits are maximized when opting to WFH, while also helping to lower electricity bills. The National Resource Defense Council reported that electricity costs from vampire appliances and electronics cost the average household $165 a year, and as much as $440 per household under top-tier rates.
Environmental Considerations for Returning to the Office
Understandably, many of us may also be ready to exchange virtual happy hours for in-person interactions with coworkers -- here too, there are opportunities to lower your environmental footprint. Some options to consider include:
Creating a carpool, opting to use public transport, or biking.
Packing a vegetarian lunch or choosing meatless options at work.
Searching for Fairmont and Hilton Hotels LEED-certified accommodations when travelling for business.
Rallying coworkers around sustainable initiatives such as these are key to driving real environmental change. There is no clear-cut answer on which option reigns superior between WFH or returning to the office, as the difference lies in the everyday decisions we make. Eliminating commutes is great for the environment, but smart lunch decisions and accommodations can also go a long way.
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About RyeStrategy
Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
From exhaustive carbon footprinting and mitigation coaching, to setting science-based targets and reporting climate data to CDP, SBTi or custom reporting platforms, RyeStrategy acts as a hands-on extension of the team, custom-tailoring services to fulfill climate disclosure requirements easily and accurately.
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