As federal workers fight office mandate, study finds remote work has climate benefits [Video]

A new report based on a large survey of federal public servants suggests remote work is associated with lower emissions — a finding that comes as workers decry a policy that requires them to be in the office more often.

The analysis by Carleton University researchers, based on a survey of about 1,500 federal employees, suggests emissions associated with fully remote work in the National Capital Region are about 25 per cent lower than those linked to full-time office work.

Remote workers in Quebec contribute even fewer emissions, the study finds, thanks largely to greener homes heated by electric baseboards rather than natural gas, and the province’s virtually all-renewable energy grid.

Researchers found each additional weekday a hybrid employee in the National Capital Region works remotely is associated with annual emissions reductions between about 235 to 350 kilograms of carbon emissions, roughly equivalent to burning up to 150 litres of …