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Can we save GHG emissions by working from home?

Santos, Georgina; Azhari, Rayan; (2022) Can we save GHG emissions by working from home? Environmental Research Communications , 4 (3) , Article 035007. 10.1088/2515-7620/ac3d3e. Green open access

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Abstract

Using data from official government publications in the UK, we estimate the potential changes in transport and buildings CO2e emissions in England and Wales if those engaged in jobs compatible with homeworking were to work mainly from home. We find that the net result is likely to be an increase, rather than a decrease in CO2e emissions. Assuming that 20% to 30% of workers were to work from home, the increase would range from 0.18% to 0.97% relative to emissions from the buildings and transport sectors combined, and from 0.11% to 0.60% relative to emissions from all sources. Under the very unrealistic assumptions that the buildings where the new teleworkers used to work closed permanently rather than remained open or were repurposed, and there were no rebound travel, there would be modest emissions savings, which would range from 0.61% to 1.63% of CO2e emissions from the transport and building sectors combined, and from 0.38% to 1.01% of CO2e emissions from all sources when 20% to 30% of workers worked from home.

Type: Article
Title: Can we save GHG emissions by working from home?
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/ac3d3e
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac3d3e
Language: English
Additional information: Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10161574
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