Why working from home might not be as green as you think

While fewer cars on the road during the daily commute might seem like one of the COVID-19 pandemic's silver linings, the environmental impact of working from home is more complex than it immediately appears.

"Nothing around climate change is easy. You're going tohave to compromise in certain areas. Not everything is a straightforward shot," saidMelanie Johnston, director of energy programs at Ottawa-based non-profit EnviroCentre.

"But there are some simple things that you can do on a daily basis, for just yourself and your family, that will make an impact."

One big energy suck is a bit of technology that's seemingly everywhere duringthe pandemic: video calls.

"You can actually reduce the amount of carbon that you're emitting by not always having your video on during meetings,"said Johnston.

Having fewer meetings or replacing them with a simple phone call also can reduce one'scarbon footprint, she said.

"The other thing is emails," she added. "Emails consume a ton of carbon when you're sending them."

Emails are repeatedly scanned, stored and can live on a device forever and that amounts to one messagebeing equivalent to four grams of carbon dioxide emissions, Johnston said.

Longer chains with attachments can be equivalent to 50 grams, Johnston said. And according to some estimates, if 30 million Canadians were each to send 10 thank-you messages in a week, that amount of gratitude could be responsible for roughly 40 tonnes of emissions.

Using chat features, Johnston said,and circulating attachments through a shared drive are two less energyintensive workarounds.

Options beyond the computer

Relying on natural light or LED light bulbs, keeping the thermostat low by wearing sweaters and turning off devices when the work day's done are other ways people can lessen their impact,Johnston said.

Flipping off the power bar is a way to not consume energy unnecessarily, while electronicscan also be tailored to use less power, she added.

"I think you have more control [if]you're working from home, as opposed to if you're working in a large building where you don't have control over the systems," said Johnston.

If you have to go out during your work day, EnviroCentre encourages people to take greener modes of transportation.

Knowing that's not always feasible, Johnston also recommends doing multiple errands at once, minimizing trips behind the wheel.