How offices can reopen with a lower carbon footprint

Working from home during the pandemic might make people stir-crazy, but it could be good for the planet. A significant share of companies’ carbon footprint is due to employee commutes and office energy use. Elected officials in the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, are working on a proposal to mandate a few days per week of remote work for employees in large downtown offices.

As companies think about re-opening offices after the pandemic, their approach to remote work and business travel could become an important part of their overall climate strategy. A new calculator from the software firm Watershed—which has developed carbon-cutting strategies for Square, Sweetgreen, and a few other major brands—aims to help companies in five major global cities identify which post-pandemic work policies could have the biggest carbon impact.

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