Is hybrid working sustainable?

Hybrid working is often touted as the best of both worlds: the social aspects of working physically alongside colleagues, plus the lifestyle benefits of working from home. But we only have one planet to live on. For people who now have a choice over how often they attend the workplace, it can be difficult to unpick how to work in the most sustainable way.

Take, for instance, the effect of hybrid working on energy used on heating. The engineering consulting firm WSP suggests, based on a study of 200 of their UK-based employees, that working from home in summer and in the office over winter is the most effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Their calculations suggest that having everyone heat their home throughout a chilly winter day produces more emissions than the combined emissions from everyone’s commute and the heating in the workplace.