The pandemic effectively stopped the world overnight, and while everyone struggled to lockdown and adapt, businesses quickly learnt that most work could be done at home, and working from home became the new norm. Emissions went down by 31% during the lockdown, in large part to the amount of people furloughed and working from home.
Work commutes alone account for around 15% of total travel and around 80% of a typical employee’s working carbon footprint.
A small office typically uses around 35’000 kWh in a year, that equates to about 8 tonnes of carbon a year. The average person creates about 10 tonnes of carbon a year for reference.
While you can take steps to reduce or offset your carbon usage it’s worth taking some time to consider if you need an office space for your business or if you can save money and the planet by working from home.