The Greener Side of Hybrid Work: How Remote Collaboration Can Benefit the Planet

Studies have shown that businesses can reduce their energy usage by a substantial 19% through the practical application of hybrid work. This is achieved by optimising office space usage and providing teams with access to flexible workspaces, which are a key component of the hybrid work model

May 17, 2024

The shift to hybrid work, which blends remote and office-based work, has brought numerous benefits for employees and employers. One often overlooked advantage is the positive impact it can have on the environment. Hybrid work can significantly benefit the planet by reducing the need for daily commuting and embracing digital collaboration tools.

IWG, the world's largest provider of hybrid working solutions, including brands such as Spaces and Regus, surveyed more than 500 leaders and facilities managers at businesses that have adopted hybrid working policies. The findings revealed that average energy consumption in those companies has fallen by 19% since the introduction of hybrid working policies, benefiting both the environment and their bottom line.

Smaller, regional flexible workspaces boast higher occupancy rates and, consequently, lower emissions per employee. An earlier IWG survey showed that only one in five would commute more than 30 minutes daily, while 60 per cent want to work within 15 minutes of home.

Some key benefits of Hybrid working for the planet:

Reduced Carbon Emissions: One of hybrid work's most significant environmental benefits is reducing carbon emissions. With fewer employees commuting to the office daily, the use of fossil fuels for transportation decreases correspondingly. Reducing emissions can help mitigate climate change and improve air quality in urban areas.
Energy Savings: Companies can also reduce their energy consumption by encouraging remote work. Fewer employees in the office means lower energy usage for heating, cooling, and lighting. Additionally, using digital communication tools can reduce the need for business travel, lowering energy consumption associated with transportation.
Less Office Waste: With fewer employees in the office, there is likely to be a reduction in office waste. Less paper, plastic, and other materials are used when employees work from home, decreasing overall waste generation. Companies can further reduce waste by encouraging digital documentation and communication.
Resource Conservation: Hybrid work can also contribute to the conservation of natural resources. By reducing the need for daily commuting, companies can help conserve resources such as oil and gas used to fuel vehicles. This reduction in resource consumption can positively impact the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the demand for finite resources.
Hybrid work not only promotes sustainable practices within the workplace but also empowers individuals to make a difference. Employees working from home are more likely to adopt eco-friendly habits, such as reducing energy usage, recycling, and using public transportation. These individual actions, when multiplied across a workforce, can have a significant positive impact on the environment.
Enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility: Companies can demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability by adopting hybrid work practices. This not only improves their corporate social responsibility (CSR) profile but also attracts environmentally conscious customers and employees. Importantly, this shift towards sustainability can lead to significant cost savings for companies in the long run, making it a financially sound decision.

Mark Dixon, IWG CEO, stated: "The global shift to hybrid working is not only bringing strong productivity and financial advantages to companies and work-life balance improvements to employees but significant environmental benefits too. This latest research confirms that businesses adopting the hybrid model have reduced energy usage significantly."

“The environmental benefits of hybrid working do not end there. By simply empowering people to work close to where they live, enabling them to split their time between a local workplace and home, earlier research by Arup has shown that this model has the potential to reduce a worker’s work-related carbon emissions by 90%.”

Hybrid work can potentially deliver significant environmental benefits, ranging from reduced carbon emissions and energy consumption to lower waste generation and resource conservation. By embracing remote collaboration and encouraging sustainable practices, companies can contribute to a greener, more sustainable future for all.

About IWG PLC 

IWG is the global leader in hybrid work solutions and workspace brands. We create personal, financial, and strategic value for businesses of every size. From some of the most exciting companies and well-known organizations on the planet to individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. All of them harness the power of IWG’s hybrid working platform to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity. IWG’s unrivalled network coverage includes approximately 4,000 locations across more than 120 countries and 83% of Fortune 500 companies are amongst our growing customer base.

Through our brands including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature, we help millions of people and their businesses to work more productively. We do so by providing the world’s leading hybrid work platform with professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces and digital services all available via the IWG app.

For more information 

Visit www.iwgplc.com and for more information on partnering with IWG, see: https://www.iwgplc.com/develop-a-location