In my previous post, I discussed the benefits of remote learning, which has been imposed due to COVID-19. A topical aspect of remote learning/working is the impact that it has on the environment. Ireland is committed to some pretty ambitious targets on emissions reductions set out in the Climate Action Plan, that almost seem unattainable, considering we've consistently fallen short of our targets in the past. Immediate action and big change is without doubt vital to meet these targets. In March 2020, overnight, the amount of commuter travel on the roads plummeted and large scale office buildings remained shut as workers were informed to work from home. The nation was officially placed under lockdown.
As the dust settled on the panic and we began to navigate life in quarantine, spirits around the globe were lifted by the reappearance of schools of fish in Venice's canals, wild animals began timidly roaming the empty streets in our major cities, dolphins appeared in much more dense packs and the ever present pollution cloud over China's capital dissipated. As we collectively watched Mother Nature emerge to restore her trampled and long polluted territory, a new wave of climate support resulted, with reinforced commitment to reopen the country with a view to protecting the environment. Therefore, the immediate emissions reductions recorded following the lockdown had many eye brows raised, and inspired new hope for meeting our targets. Could this be the solution we're looking for? Could the simple act of working from home save the planet? Maybe, maybe not. The deeper we delve into it, the more complex the situation seems to become.
In a COVID scenario, where our movements are restricted, carbon emissions are inevitably going to be dramatically reduced. Not only are we not commuting, but our non-work related travel is also limited. The energy consumption from office buildings is non-existent and home energy use will offset this. As we all individually heat our homes through the winter, the offset will be much greater, narrowing the gap between business as usual and COVID scenario emissions. As COVID is still having a great impact on emissions reductions across the world, we're still very much in a system shock state. The emissions reductions that we are seeing may not be sustainable long term as we enter life post COVID.
1 year post COVID
Hopefully a COVID vaccine has been successfully administered and we continue to work form home as a carbon emissions reduction measure. We'll no longer have restricted movements and are free to travel as freely as pre-COVID. No longer needing to travel to work could see an uptake in non-work related travel. As our home is now our place of work, we'll want to get out of the house more, take more trips, weekend drives. The accumulation of which could easily overtake your usual weekly travel time pre-COVID.
And that's before we consider air travel...
Ah yes, the yearly trip abroad, remember that? While it was great to explore the West Coast of Ireland this year as a staycation, it's just not the same and I still feel starved of the chance to travel somewhere new. It's in our nature to travel and expand our horizons, so why don't we travel more than we do? Well the answer is simple, it's because we have to work. Obviously! But in a post-COVID situation where you are working remotely, what's to stop you from packing up and carrying your work out from Spain for a week? Maybe Italy the next month. I think that there is genuine potential of a large uptake in air travel as the line between work and holidays becomes blurred. How's that looking for the carbon emissions?
2-5 years post COVID.
By now, working from home is the well established norm, and we begin to forget how we ever spent so long travelling to and from work, waking at the crack of dawn to make ourselves look presentable for another day at the office. A possibility in this time frame is a mass exodus from urban areas, which for over 100s of years continuously expanded because that's where work and opportunity was. But, with working from home, millennials who were once burdened by exorbitant rent prices can now afford to buy homes within their price range, outside of the cities. They are now powering a larger home than their small apartment in the city, and perhaps, bought a car when they would normally travel by bus to work. How are the emissions looking now?
In conclusion, the answer to the question, can working from home reduce carbon emissions, is not just black and white. Reducing commuter travel and office energy use have proven to reduce emissions in the short term, but it was combined with the fact that we had our movements restricted. As we navigate life post COVID, how will our behaviors change, while working from home. Will we leave the house more, travel more, move out to the country, buy a bigger home, buy a car or two. We can only make assumptions, but with all the time and money saved on commuting, I'm sure we'll find something to do with it.