Working Closer to Home Can Help Reduce Carbon Emission by 70-80%
IWG, the global provider of flexible workspace solutions, unveiled a ground-breaking report ahead of World Earth Day that examines the impact of hybrid working on carbon emissions. The report was conducted in partnership with Arup, a global team of experts and advisors dedicated to sustainable development. Hybrid working can facilitate major carbon savings and has the potential for significant impact on the climate crisis as per the report. The first-of-its-kind report quantifies the environmental impact of a hybrid working model in terms of carbon emissions. The research compares the carbon impact of hybrid working against commuting into a city centre five times a week. All six cities showed the potential for huge carbon savings through the widespread adoption of hybrid working, which has rapidly expanded amongst white collar workers, who are now using the available technology to work where is most convenient and they are most productive. Cities in the U.S. showed the largest potential carbon savings when also taking transport into consideration, due to the prevalence of commuting by car, with Atlanta (90% reduction) just edging out Los Angeles (87%) and New York (82%). The potential carbon savings remain significant for UK cities with Glasgow (80%), Manchester (70%) and London (49%) all showing potential to benefit from workers reducing their commutes and working closer to home as part of a hybrid model. IWG’s study with Arup compared different working scenarios for white-collar workers including: Exclusively from city centre workspaces. From city centre workspaces and local workspaces. From city centre workspaces and home. A combination of all three. The team looked at the total emissions per worker based on transport, heating, cooling, lighting, energy use and more, to understand the climate impact. The report also acknowledges that while more local working has a role to play in reducing an individual’s carbon footprint, other factors heavily influence where people choose to work. These include camaraderie with colleagues, economic benefits, and the variety and excitement of urban life. Choosing to cycle, walk or take public transport would further reduce carbon emissions, regardless of where one works. Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG, commented, “This new research reveals we have an extraordinary opportunity to radically reduce humanity’s negative environmental impact by encouraging the adoption of hybrid working. Five-day commuting to city centre offices has the largest carbon footprint of any working model.” Simply spending less time in or travelling to a city centre drives a drop in emissions from buildings and vehicles alike. Allowing people to work close to home, enabling them to split their time between home and a local workplace, has the potential to reduce a worker’s work-related carbon emissions by 70%. The single biggest change we can all make right now is to provide people with the choice to work closer to where they need to be, and with lower impact on the environment. And that’s down to all of us. The results of our research with Arup show clearly that given the right will this is within our power – right now. IWG encourages businesses to consider hybrid working to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change. As IWG reaches its highest-ever network footprint of over 65m sq. ft, it is committed to building its network by adding up to 1,000 locations over the next year. By adding locations closer to workers’ homes, IWG will help reduce the amount of carbon used in long commutes, as transport emissions are the biggest source of pollution in across the world. The company is on track to be carbon neutral during the course of 2023 and has also received an upgraded rating to AA from the MSCI. Matthew Dillon, Director of City Economics and Planning at Arup said, “This research clearly shows that changing our behaviour is key to achieving our carbon targets. We can choose to walk and cycle, and to make more journeys by public transport. Governments must also choose to invest in these networks and use them to secure both environmental benefits and economic growth.”
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