64% of business owners want to improve their environmental sustainability, according to a study by Lloyds Bank. And it goes beyond business. We all want to do our part to help our home planet.
So what if we told you that by going hybrid, your business could help to reduce emissions, slash single use plastics and improve air quality?
That’s right, whether it’s through fewer commutes, waste reduction, resource sharing, or something else, there are many ways a carefully considered hybrid working strategy can allow you to work productively and sustainably.
And Hubble can help you implement such a strategy, by offering on-demand access to flexible workspaces in over 1000 locations worldwide, and through providing tailored and flexible full-time offices that work perfectly for your team’s precise needs.
But without further ado, here are the many ways in which hybrid working can improve your carbon footprint.
Less commuting = less emissions
The average petrol car in the UK produces around 180g of CO2 per kilometre and when you attribute that to all the cars on the road during commuting hours, it sure does add up.
But a study from Spain’s Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals found that working from home 2–4 days a week could reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide (the main pollutant in traffic emissions) by between 4%–10%.
By giving your team the opportunity to work between home, the office and other spaces, you take cars off the road. That means a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and fewer emissions going into our atmosphere.
Hybrid working can boost air quality in urban areas
Naturally, with fewer cars on the road, air quality improves. During lockdown, when a large number of Londoners began working from home, Breathe London reported that emissions reduced by 25% during the normal morning commute and 34% during the evening commute. This can have a massive impact on not just the environment, but on people’s health too.
A smaller office doesn’t need as much energy (or stuff)
As more businesses swap to hybrid working, a lot of offices have changed. Where before, every employee would require a desk, a monitor and a locker of their own, the office has become more of a flexible hub. For this reason, a number of businesses have downsized, allowing their team members to use meeting rooms, share equipment and book desks in the office as and when they need them.
A smaller space also requires less power for things like heating and lighting. Studies have shown that on average, offices use around 20Kw/h of electricity and 24 cubic feet of natural gas per square foot. Reduce your square footage and you could reduce your carbon footprint!
Shared workspaces = shared resources
The same logic applies to shared workspaces, like the hundreds of coworking spaces you and your team could access with the Hubble Pass.
Coworking spaces are pre-packaged with everything you need for your team, so you don’t need to buy anything. No printers. No meeting tables. No espresso machines. You just show up, do your thing and the coworking space will take care of the rest.
Think of it this way: Your business, plus all of the other businesses that share the space with you, are helping to reduce global consumption just by working under the same roof.
There’s less rubbish
A study by Mintel showed that 76% of UK office workers eat out for lunch every day, which contributes to the ever-growing plastic problem. From coffee cups, to sandwich packets, 50% of the 380 million tonnes of plastic produced every year is designed for single use.
With more people working from home as part of a hybrid team, they’re able to cook their own lunch, or make their coffee at home—drastically reducing workplace plastic.
Flexible working can boost the use of greener transport options
A lot of hybrid teams are also flexible when it comes to working hours. This flexible schedule means that your team doesn’t need to travel during rush hour.
As a result of that, your team can make their way to work when buses, trains and the underground are far less crowded (and more affordable during off-peak times).
Plus, it’s a lot easier to cycle to work when there aren’t so many cars on the road.
Fewer in-person meetings save time, money and the planet
As hybrid working becomes increasingly popular, more people are getting used to hopping on a video call instead of travelling across the world to meet with international clients.
Want to see how many carbon emissions you could save from having a video call instead of travelling for meetings? Try this meeting emissions calculator.
Hybrid working can be more energy-efficient in winter
A report published by the UK’s Carbon Trust found that German workers who commute by train during winter tend to have far lower carbon emissions when working from the office because they don’t need to heat and power their individual homes.
Yep, in this case, the office wins those sustainability points. Giving your team the option to work from a cosy office even some of the time during those winter months can preserve energy (and help them save some money on their utility bills—which will no doubt be greatly appreciated).
Improve your carbon footprint with Hubble
Hybrid working alone isn’t a one-way-ticket to being a sustainable business. But, the nature of hybrid working—the flexibility, the location, the independence—is a solid root system to grow upon.
Thinking about going hybrid to build a more sustainable business? The Hubble Pass allows your team to access a global network of on-demand coworking spaces and private day offices, plus by-the-hour meeting rooms and event spaces in over 1000 locations worldwide.
