Working from home can significantly cut CO2 emissions

Working from home for just one day a week could save over 379kg of CO2 emissions, according to recent research conducted by home energy-saving assistant Loop. 

Researchers at Loop analysed data on the emissions released from a range of commuting distances. They found that commuters who take part in a 50-mile round trip Monday to Friday could save around 379.2kg of CO2 emissions every year by working from home for just one day a week.

This CO2 saving is equivalent to a short-haul flight from  London to Istanbul.

Those who have a 10-mile daily commute could save around 75kg of CO2 over the course of a year.

Based on these findings, Loop is urging employers and employees to consider working from home more to help reduce global CO2 emissions.

Steve Buckley, head of Data Science at Loop said: ‘Changing our day-to-day travel habits is undoubtedly one of the most significant ways we can limit our individual impact on the environment.

‘The way many organisations both large and small adjusted to moving their workforce online in response to the global coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated just how adaptable they can be.

‘As we emerge from lockdown and begin to get back to a ‘new normal’, it’s vital that we take some of the more positive habits forward with us so we can collectively tackle one of the biggest challenges facing us – climate change.

‘Spending more time at home usually equates to higher energy bills. However, we’ve seen that even making simple changes while working at home can make a big difference to your bills.

‘If home working is likely to become a regular occurrence for you in the future, it’s also worth considering whether solar panels could now be a sensible choice. If you’re now at home more during the day, you’ll make more use of your clean home-grown power.’

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