Understanding the Emissions of Remote Working

With the rise of remote working, tracking emissions from hybrid and remote workforces can open a different set of challenges, however still possible to put the processes in place to understand the environmental impact of remote working.  

Think about the emissions involved in remote work 

Some of these include (not exhaustive)  

1. Home energy use (electric, heating/ cooling) 
2. Equipment usage  
3. Occasional commuting or business travel 
4. Digital infrastructure  

 Set boundaries and data collection methods 

Setting boundaries will help you keep consistent with the tracking your emissions, start with the areas of higher potential emissions and over time increase the boundaries 

1. Employee home office set up (screens / devices)  
2. Average working hours  
3. Energy providers and source (grid / solar)  
4. Employee average commute  
5. Average business miles  

Collecting clear and consistent data is important to understanding your emissions, starting with time frame and making data collection methods participation easy through standardised processes.  

 Emission based calculations  

Remember, under the GHG protocol, remote work emissions are scope 3.  

You can download the GHG protocol to understand the emission factors yourself, or there are free tools and spreadsheets you can download or use a consultancy to support you through your journey.