- RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Another reason to love remote working: it’s good for the planet
Working remotely can mean lower greenhouse-gas emissions — and better views out the window. Credit: Getty
The shift to remote working triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic might have climate benefits. Transitioning from being in an office to working from home can reduce work-related carbon emissions by 54%, an analysis shows1.
Yanqiu Tao at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and her colleagues analysed greenhouse-gas emissions from work-related sources, such as commuting and energy use at home or in the office. The team drew on data about workers at technology company Microsoft, which employs many of the authors, and from several US government surveys. The researchers then compared the greenhouse-gas emissions of remote, hybrid and in-office workers.
The more an employee worked remotely, the lower their emissions were. Compared with being in an office full time, working remotely once a week was linked to a 2% decrease in emissions; doing so four days a week reduced emissions by 29%.
Energy use in office buildings was the largest contributor to emissions for full-time office workers and hybrid employees who frequently worked in the office. Decarbonizing offices could make working in the office full time less carbon intensive than a hybrid work schedule.
Nature 621, 661 (2023)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02918-6
References
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Tao, Y. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 120, ee2304099120 (2023).
