DIVERSITY he COVID-19 pandemic introduced to the mainstream what had already become normalised for some generations , industries , and specific companies .
This new trend was working from home - or WFH - instances of which jumped from around 5 % before COVID-19 broke out to 47 % during April 2020 , according to the UK Office of National Statistics . Theoretically , working from home reduces air pollution and CO2 emissions , with research conducted by Spain ' s Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals suggesting that it has a significant , positive impact on air pollution . According to the UK ' s Department for Transport , car travel decreased by around 60 % in 2020 due to the pandemic . Similarly , bus travel fell almost 90 %, while train travel had its frequency lowered to 100 % below normal levels .
Now , we live in a firmly hybrid-working world , with employees working both at home and the office .
When COVID struck and things started to suddenly change , the commute disappeared ( alongside much industrial and , to some extent , economic activity ), leaving skies clear , birds singing , dolphins in Venice ' s famous canal network - and a huge drop in emissions .
If average commuting times range from 1.5-2 hours in most countries , and vehicles emit between 100-700g of CO2 , then working from home represents a significant achievement in reducing CO2 emissions . The above research from Spain showed working from home four days a week reduced the amount of nitrogen dioxide - one of the main pollutants caused by traffic - by about 8 %.
68 May 2022