The home office is not sustainable per se – whether it is more sustainable than working at your usual workplace in the company depends on a few factors. Basically, you can say that working in the home office is more sustainable.
Here are some reasons why this is so
Less rush hour traffic
Traffic jams, long journeys to work, air pollution, horn concerts, gasoline consumption and the burning of fossil fuels in general – you no longer participate in any of these things when you work from home.
If 40 percent of employees worked from home two days a week, 5.4 million tons of CO₂ could be saved each year. That is the equivalent of around 18 percent of all CO₂ emissions in traffic caused by commuting. It’s crazy what environmental potential is in the home office, isn’t it?
No journeys for business appointments
Working from home is also a more sustainable alternative to the usual workplace in the office, because long journeys to business meetings, for example by plane or car, are hardly necessary. In most cases, a Zoom or Skype meeting will do the trick and it is also kind to the environment. Online downloader for Youtube can also help if you need to download videos related to your work. Home office and sustainability also go very well together in this regard.
Lower energy consumption
Coffee maker, heating, lights, cold rooms, and computers – many devices in an open-plan office run 24 hours a day. At least on standby. In addition, windows and doors keep opening and closing – and make sustainable heat management more difficult.
Of course, you also use energy in the home office! But there you have full control over it.
100% green electricity at home
You probably have little control over the electricity your employer uses. It may well be that your computer or other technical devices run on fossil fuels at work. When you work in the home office, you have a decisive influence.
By switching to green eco-electricity – e.g. from water, solar or wind power – you make your workplace at home even more environmentally friendly. This is very important if you want to combine home office and sustainability.