IWG hails hybrid working’s help in cutting emissions

Companies could cut carbon emissions in big cities by introducing hybrid working policies, according to new research. Flexible office operator IWG and consultancy Arup studied the impact that different balances between working from home, local and city centre offices could have on carbon emissions in London, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Manchester and Glasgow. They tracked emissions per worker based on transport, heating, cooling, lighting and energy use. They claim that hybrid working could reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% in the UK – with the greatest reduction in Glasgow – and by up to 90% in the US (Atlanta). The greatest gains were seen in US cities in which most workers commute by car rather than by public transport. In Manchester, IWG and Arup said emissions could be cut by 70% and in London by 49%. Cutting commutes by car would have a big effect in all cities, the study found – one in three people drive to work in London, a figure that rises to two in three nationwide. Local workspaces, meanwhile, were found to have less emissions per sq m of floor area and to have higher utilisation rates, meaning each person is responsible for less emissions. IWG chief executive Mark Dixon said the real estate industry has “an extraordinary opportunity to radically reduce humanity’s negative environmental impact by encouraging the adoption of hybrid working”. He said: “Five-day commuting to city centre offices has the largest carbon footprint of any working model. “Simply spending less time in or travelling to a city centre drives a drop in emissions from buildings and vehicles alike.” To send feedback, e-mail tim.burke@eg.co.uk or tweet @_tim_burke or @EGPropertyNews Photo © IWG