We’ve all witnessed first hand how the coronavirus crisis has had a positive impact on the environment – forced lockdowns have meant less travel and cut in the amount of industrial energy being used, all of which has combined to cut pollution and greenhouse gasses.
If we continue to work from home once the pandemic becomes manageable and life returns to ‘normal’, will this help us to continue to help the environment?
A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that global warming is a more pressing problem than previously thought – while nations across the planet are working to keep warming down to no more than 2°C, we all need to be working to a 1.5°C limit.
And the worst news is that we only have 12 years to make a serious dent in our global carbon emissions, else we seriously risk Earth warming up by 3°C, which would be catastrophic.
So, we all need to do our bit to help reduce carbon emissions, and remote working is a great place to start.
How remote working can help reduce carbon emissions
In effect, everything we do adds to our carbon footprint – that is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of an activity. Just reading this is adding to yours.
Not all activities are created equal though, and some have more of an effect on your carbon footprint than others. So, if you get the bus to work, this will have a greater impact on your carbon footprint than if you cycle to work.
In turn, driving to work has a greater impact than taking the bus, and if you take regular business flights, you really need to take a look at the impact your travelling is having on the planet – flying is a high-emission activity, but travelling in business or first-class can be several times as damaging as seats in economy. This is because the footprint left by your flight depends upon a host of factors on top of the distance, including the aeroplane model, how many seats are empty, and how much luggage passengers carry.
How to work out the carbon footprint of your flight
Use the tool below to work out how to offset your flight emissions.
But working from home means you cut out the commute completely, and while you’ll be using more energy at home, running the laptop for the day and boiling the kettle adds very little to your carbon footprint in comparison to getting in the car and driving to work.
How to cut your carbon footprint
Use a conference call to cut your carbon footprint
If you’re worried about missing out on vital meetings, whether at home or abroad, you can save money and help save the planet by holding your meetings via conference call instead of in person.
ConferenceCall.co.uk is the UK’s simplest conference calling service, and you can set up a call in three simple steps:
- Set up your Conference Call – Choose a date/time of your conference call.
- Invite your Participants – Send all participants an invitation with your PIN, date/time and dial-in number(s).
- Start your Conference Call – At the agreed time, all participants dial in and enter your PIN to join your conference call!
If you’ve overseas colleagues and clients, then you’ll be glad to know that setting up an international conference call is as easy as organizing an local conference call! You can invite participants from any country you wish. ConferenceCall.co.uk provides dial-in numbers in 72 countries, more than any other conference calling provider in the UK!
