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Telecommuting Can Help Companies Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
With all the focus on saving the planet and the constant stories on the news about traveling less, telecommuting or telework seems to be the answer to the Mother Nature’s call for rescue. Telecommuting is an under-explored work methodology that could be a green solution to current employment practices as it negates the need to expend energy between home & office. Greater adoption of teleworking would lead to an immediate reduction in traffic jams which produce millions of tons of carbon each year. Another direct consequence of targeting this approach is to reduce a country’s dependence on foreign oil imports. The strain on infrastructure caused by congested freeways caused by a traffic build-up leads to higher carbon emissions as the need to repair roads & bridges has its own footprint.
Telecommuting can also provide a direct cost-saving opportunity for employers as the requirements for real-estate & associated energy costs for electricity, gas & water are reduced. Additional savings can also be gained by a reduced need for office construction, business travel, and lower rate of absenteeism as well as reduced staff turnover.
Remote working also introduces a change in mindset when it comes to traditional face to face meetings as they are replaced by web-based video conferencing since telecommuters and their managers become accustomed to distance between staff. An indirect consequence of this is that meetings remain more focused and are less prone to veering off topic.
Moving forward any business that wants to stay competitive will need to consider its carbon footprint as governments around the world start to penalize companies for their CO2 emissions. The penalties are being issued via the use of carbon credits and based on the tonnage of carbon produced by an organization which includes figures for staff and the costs of travel and centralization in an office environment.
Telecommuting offers an easy and clear way for companies to reduce their carbon footprint thereby ensuring their offset costs are kept to a minimum. It’s even been suggested that staff would take a small cut in salary as their contribution to a cleaner environment. They also save on clothes, food, parking & child care.
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