Research from Monster.co.uk suggests that employers letting their staff work from home could ‘significantly’ reduce UK’s CO2 emissions and carbon footprint. How? Doubling the number of home workers would cut CO2 emissions and the number of cars taking commuters to work massively.
It appears that if we change the way we work then there could be huge positives in terms of environmental impact – both environmentally (less crowded trains, less cars on the road) but also in terms of wellness and mental health (improved work/life balance).
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reports that around 13.4% (4.33 million people) of the UK’s 32.4 million workers currently work from home. Monster.co.uk suggests that if this number were to double in the next 5 years, then there could potentially be 650,000 fewer cars on the road – across Greater London and Greater Manchester alone - in 2025. Which would have a huge impact on CO2 emissions in the UK.
‘The environmental impact of a shift to home working primarily comes from the fact that there would be fewer people commuting by car,’ Monster said. This research suggests that encouraging working from home could make a vital contribution to helping the UK meet its carbon targets.
Definitely worth further consideration!