As the business world becomes increasingly globalized, more and more employers are offering remote work options to their teams. There are many benefits to this arrangement, including reduced overhead costs, the ability to attract top talent, and improved employee productivity. But what many companies don’t consider is that allowing employees to work from home can also positively impact the environment.

For example, by eliminating the need for commuting, working from home can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And by cutting down on the amount of office space needed, working from home can also help conserve energy and save resources.

These are essential considerations for any company in today’s increasingly environmentally-conscious world. With more and more business transparency available, consumers continue to move toward companies that share their values. There are, however, a few considerations if you’re contemplating an ecologically-conscious move to remote work.

The Complex Carbon Equation

At first glance, this might seem like the most obvious way to lower a company’s environmental footprint and make a case for remote work. Realistically, though, calculating our work-related carbon footprint is more complex.

Celebrating Fewer Commute-Generated Carbon Emissions

Working from home generally means less time spent in your car. And the reports support this. Remote work does indeed cut down on vehicle-related carbon emissions for most people. Current reports show that the average commute time in the United States is almost half an hour. And this number is steadily increasing as more individuals live further away from their place of work. With the average vehicle emitting 404 grams of CO2 per mile traveled, over 64 billion grams of CO2 are released each day from fossil fuels.

Recognizing the Carbon Footprint of Connectivity

We often associate carbon emissions solely with fossil fuels and transportation. However, manufacturing and delivering all of our connectivity adds up. Once we have all of our gear and gadgets in place, we then move to the daily work of cooling massive servers and powering all of our devices. These factors combine to make internet usage an enormous impact on our collective carbon footprint. We can’t simply move from in-person to remote work without establishing healthy online consumption habits if the goal is lower carbon emissions.

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Moving Toward Net Zero

There’s still good news for companies looking to be environmentally mindful. The carbon emissions of data processing and server cooling still lag behind the rate of emissions by personal transportation, tipping the scale toward remote work as the healthier option. To ensure that it remains that way, it’s an innovative business move to set some policies and programs to help keep your corporate footprint as low as possible. Consider some of the following:

• Use video sparingly, relying on audio-only conferencing when possible.
• Implement training programs to educate team members about the vampire draw of devices left on.
• Provide stipends for greener home office upgrades.
• Issue smart plugs that keep computers and other devices, such as printers, powered off when not in use.
• Create email awareness campaigns to avoid reply-all options, and minimize usage whenever possible.
• Choose cloud storage providers powered by green energy.

Create a Focus on Office Consumption

Another ecological factor comes in the form of physical office space considerations. Owning or leasing office space is a significant expense for many companies. While the focus is often on the emissions from the transportation sector, commercial operations are one of the largest sources of energy usage in the United States.

Transitioning to remote work can mean substantial savings for companies that can downsize or eliminate their physical environment. However, some of the energy usage from the office will get reassigned to homes, rather than disappearing completely. With an awareness campaign and a few remote policies, you can help ensure that you’re meeting fiscal and environmental goals.

Implement Lunch-and-Learn Programs

Two of the most significant electrical expenditures of office space are lighting and temperature control. Those will remain factors in a home office, but you can help your team members create healthier habits with awareness campaigns and stipends.

Target education about alternative energy sources and create internal campaigns around responsible thermostats, light usage, and general eco-friendly home office choices. Consider offering stipends for LED lightbulb upgrades and fun “change your filter” challenges. Educate team members on healthier ways to surf the net by promoting tablet usage for smaller tasks outside work hours.

Be Mindful of Your Office Furniture

If you have office space that you currently lease or own, you’ll have a massive amount of chairs, desks, filing cabinets, and myriad other supplies to deal with. Rather than let these fall into the landfill, work with professional office liquidators who help eliminate 99% of landfill waste with resale and donation logistics. You’ll be able to choose to sell, donate, or dispose of your office furniture supplies in ways that benefit both your fiscal and environmental bottom lines.

Transitioning to Healthy Remote Work Habits

Moving to a predominantly remote workforce can substantially benefit the environment but also create unintentional impacts without awareness campaigns and healthy green policies. Making a well-informed transition to a remote employer can ensure that you support a healthy work-life balance for your team and the healthiest earth possible.

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