What is the environmental impact of a return to

To assess the footprint of in-person work, researchers generally compare it with the alternative: working from home. But that comparison is more complex than it may appear.

During the pandemic, many businesses and government bodies adopted remote work. In recent months, however, several organizations have reversed course, including the federal government, which now requires public servants to work in the office four days a week. What does this mean beyond fuel consumption alone?

To assess the footprint of in-person work, researchers generally compare it with the alternative: working from home. But that comparison is more complex than it may appear, cautions Samuel Leduc-Frenette, a PhD candidate in Earth sciences at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). “One thing is certain: [...] if there is one science that is inexact, it is the science of calculating the carbon footprint of remote work and [in-person work].”

More gasoline — at first glance At first glance, returning to the office appears harmful to the environment. “Daily car use is a very significant component of the environmental footprint of a Québec household [...] and 70 per cent of people use their car to get to work,” said Cécile Bulle, a professor in the Department of Strategy, Social and Environmental Responsibility at UQAM’s School of Management and co-holder of the International Life Cycle Chair at the International

Source and reference

Reference Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services. A Statistics Canada study published in 2021 reached a similar conclusion: a shift to the full potential of working from home would reduce annual transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by about 9.5 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or 12.1 per cent of emissions attributable to transportation by Canadian households. But that calculation accounts only for commuting — travel between home and the office. Samuel Leduc-Frenette urges people to look beyond that: remote work also produces “rebound effects.” Remote workers are more likely to settle farther from urban centres — or even to “work from the cottage.” Once established in more isolated areas, they find it harder to combine trips and make more journeys for personal activities. A study published in the journal Energy and Buildings in 2020 found...

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