A new study by Alliance Virtual Offices discovered that companies allowing remote work, besides having financial gains, also help the environment. Although 34.3 million tons of emissions are projected to be produced this year, it is still less than if employees went to the office. Additionally, remote workers save approximately 16 million trees from deforestation, one of the leading causes of climate change,
While it’s still difficult to know with precision the impact of remote work in the environment, a new study found out that despite having a massive production of greenhouse gasses, it still is a greener solution than working in an office.
Alliance Virtual Offices Study: Main Findings
Alliance Virtual Offices surveyed 457 171 respondents on commuting, paper usage, employee well-being, and business practices in office settings. The survey found that companies allowing employees to WFH are experiencing gains in different aspects. From increasing reputation to making the world greener.
These are some of the key findings:
- Companies that promote WFH experience better customer bases and increased brand loyalty.
- While remote work is projected to produce 34.3 million tons of emissions in 2021, the trade-off from lack of commute, less electricity usage, paper savings, among others, make office work worse for the environment.
- 247 trillion sheets of paper are saved every year because of remote workers. This translates into 16 trillion trees, or nearly three million acres, from deforestation.
- Employees who commute on a daily basis report higher levels of cholesterol and mental health disorders.
- There was a 67% decrease in waste production from businesses in 2020 in the US because employees worked from home.
- The average remote worker reduces their carbon footprint by approximately 1,800 pounds.