Federal employees in Ottawa produced 25 per cent fewer emissions when they worked remotely compared to those who were working in the office full time, a new study suggests, in research that comes as a major public sector union continues to push back on the government mandating more in-office work.
The decrease in emissions associated with remote work was even more pronounced for federal employees in Quebec, where emissions were 64 per cent lower compared to in-person workers, the study found, largely as a result of more energy-efficient homes in the province.
The government-funded report, produced by Carleton University in Ottawa, surveyed 1,500 public servants across three government offices, including the Canada Revenue Agency, and looked at emissions from transportation, homes, offices and internet use.
The results come slightly more than a month after new requirements for federal employees came into effect, mandating that hybrid public servants needed to work on-site a minimum of three days a week, up from the previous minimum of two days.
According to the new report, an extra day in office for a federal employee in Ottawa results in an additional 235 kilograms of carbon emissions on average annually.
“More hybrid work days are more sustainable compared to a traditional in-office work,” Farzam Sepanta, one of the researchers behind the Carleton Study, told CBC.
He said this is dependent on workers developing “sustainable habits and preferences regarding their home [and] transportation.”
Remote work cuts transportation emissions
The survey was conducted between December 2023 and February 2024 among federal employees in Quebec and the National Capitol Region, which encompasses Ottawa, Gatineau and the surrounding metropolitan area.
It was reviewed by researchers and experts within the government, including within the Treasury Board Secretariat, which leads the government’s policy requiring in-office days.
Survey participants answered questions about their homes and work model and filled out “transportation diaries” on their work commute.
Fewer cars being driven to work meant fewer transportation emissions — but did more bodies working from home mean an equivalent jump in household emissions? Not according to this study.
Researchers found that remote work could decrease transportation emissions by more than 60 per cent on average for federal employees, while increasing their household emissions by less than 10 per cent.
Read More: As federal workers slam office mandate, study finds remote work cuts