Remote Work: Making it Work for the Environment

Remote work may be reshaping what your personal “footprint” looks like day to day, mostly by changing where energy gets used and how much you travel. The biggest environmental shift is obvious: fewer commutes. But the full equation is more personal than people expect, because some impacts drop while others simply move from office buildings to your home. So if you work remotely, or are considering working from home, some of the impact will depend on you.

The Current State of Remote Work 

While remote work has stabilized since the height of the pandemic, it remains significantly higher than pre-2020 levels. As of late 2025, approximately 22% of the U.S. workforce is remote, a nearly fourfold increase from the 6.5% seen before the pandemic.

The landscape has shifted toward a "hybrid" norm:

• Hybrid is Dominant: Roughly 52% of remote-capable employees now work in a hybrid arrangement.
• Exclusively Remote: This has declined from a peak of 70% in May 2020 to about 26% today.
• Employee Preference: Despite "return-to-office" (RTO) pushes from some CEOs, 98% of employees recommend remote work, and 60% of remote-capable workers prefer a hybrid model.

The Big Tradeoff: Less Commuting, More “Home-Based” Energy

When you work from home, you often cut transportation emissions because you’re driving less (or not at all). At the same time, your home may use more energy during the day—heating or cooling a space, running lights, powering devices, and keeping everything comfortable for longer hours.

So the environmental impact depends on your specific situation:

• How far you used to commute
• What kind of transportation you used
• How energy-efficient your home is
• How your remote routine affects errands and travel

What Remote Work Can Reduce for an Individual

Here are the places many people see a clear environmental upside:

• Commuting emissions: fewer miles driven and less daily traffic time
• Office-related energy (indirectly): fewer days relying on office lighting, HVAC, and shared building operations for your daily work
• Business travel: more meetings handled virtually rather than through higher-impact travel

What Remote Work Can Increase (If You’re Not Intentional)

Remote work isn’t automatically “greener.” A few rebound effects can creep in:

• Higher home energy use: especially in extreme weather seasons
• More non-work driving: replacing commute miles with extra trips throughout the day
• Always-on device use: more hours with screens, chargers, and equipment running

Learning for Remote-Friendly Work While Staying Sustainable

Online learning can help you build skills for remote or hybrid work without the extra commuting and campus time of in-person programs. It’s also a practical fit when you want career momentum with a more efficient routine. One field that is growing in the remote arena is healthcare. It's important to review healthcare degree programs to determine if this would fit your personal goals. Many roles now include remote or hybrid elements, and the work can directly support individuals and families. 

Online learning:

• Builds remote-friendly skills on a flexible schedule
• Cuts commute time (and related emissions)
• Supports healthcare paths with meaningful impact

Key Environmental Levers You Control

• Commute Miles
  • Why it matters: Often the single biggest swing factor in your personal footprint.
  • Practical move: Keep your “no commute” days truly car-light by bundling all your errands into a single trip.
• Home Heating and Cooling
  • Why it matters: High energy use at home can erase part of the environmental benefit of not commuting.
  • Practical move: Close off unused rooms, adjust your thermostat slightly, and use fans strategically to stay comfortable.
• Work Setup
  • Why it matters: Personal devices and peripherals draw power constantly throughout the day.
  • Practical move: Use energy-saving sleep settings and completely shut down equipment when it’s not in use.
• Virtual Meetings
  • Why it matters: Continuous high-definition video adds an unnecessary load to data centers and network energy.
  • Practical move: Switch to audio-only when you don’t strictly need the visuals for the discussion.
• Daily Errands
  • Why it matters: Frequent small trips in the car multiply fast and increase local emissions.
  • Practical move: Set 1–2 specific errand days per week instead of making daily "pop-out" trips.

A Simple “Greener Remote Work” Routine

If you want the benefits without overthinking it, start here:

• Bundle trips: treat errands like a route, not random pop-outs
• Right-size comfort: a small thermostat tweak and closing doors makes a difference
• Power down: unplug idle chargers and reduce “always-on” devices
• Use video intentionally: save it for calls where it helps
• Choose walking breaks when possible: it reduces short car trips and clears your head

The Bottom Line

Remote work changes your environmental impact by shifting the “center of gravity” from commuting and office life to home energy and local habits. For many people, the biggest win comes from fewer car miles. If you want the benefits to stick, focus on the basics: keep trips efficient, manage home energy thoughtfully, and build a routine you can maintain without making life feel restrictive.