Commuting to Work is 4X More Carbon Intensive Than Working From Home, Carbon Inventory Finds
Challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people work. In the U.S., 35% of workers with jobs that could be done remotely still did so full time in 2023, compared to just 7% pre-pandemic.
With the ability to hire remotely came the realization that companies could now hire the best and brightest anywhere in the world. Founded in 2019, Omnipresent positioned itself at the forefront of this trend with a platform that enabled companies to tap into a global pool of talent compliantly and seamlessly. It foresaw the Globalization of Teams, much like the globalization of trade, finance and information in decades past.
Central to Omnipresent’s ethos was the belief that remote teams, working from home (WFH), inherently possess a lighter carbon footprint compared to traditional commuting teams. However, this conviction lacked substantiation through data, hindering Omnipresent’s ability to effectively communicate its sustainability claims to stakeholders.
With the recent completion of their brand strategy, as well as growing pressure from investors, Omnipresent was compelled to seek quantitative data to underpin their sustainability narrative.
Solutions Delivered
Recognizing the need for robust and comprehensive data, Omnipresent turned to TripleWin to conduct its first carbon inventory.
Given Omnipresent’s virtual workforce and distributed operations, TripleWin advised focusing the analysis on Omnipresent’s material value chain activities, specifically Scope 3 Categories 1 (purchased goods and services), 6 (business travel), and 7 (employee commuting).
Quantifying Category 7 (employee commuting) emissions would allow Omnipresent to compare the emissions of WFH teams with those of commuting teams, all else equal. The following conditions were used for this calculation:
- Emissions included in this category derived from energy used to power devices and create a comfortable work environment at home.
- The sample size included the workforces of both Omnipresent and its more than 600 platform clients, headquartered in over 300 cities in 40+ countries.
- For the comparison group, average commutes in known locations was used to calculate emissions from commuter travel, based on the headquarters locations of Omnipresent’s platform clients.
TripleWin selected “carbon intensity per employee” as the most appropriate metric for communicating the climate impacts of Omnipresent’s remote working model. (Carbon intensity is a useful metric for high-growth companies that want to track the environmental efficiency of their business as their operations scale.)
Project Learnings
Omnipresent’s carbon inventory revealed that, on average worldwide, a commuting workforce is four times more carbon-intensive than a fully remote workforce.
What’s more, a company-by-company analysis showed that the climate benefits of working remotely remained true across the vast majority of city locations. For the few exceptions, the difference was small, and thought to be attributed to public transit availability and the carbon load of local energy sources.
Client Outcomes
The data from Omnipresent’s carbon inventory not only validated the company’s convictions about remote-first business models but also provided tangible evidence to support its brand position and messaging. With quantifiable metrics, Omnipresent could now begin to articulate and reinforce its environmental commitment to investors, clients and other stakeholders.
Looking ahead, Omnipresent planned to leverage these findings to strengthen its position in the market. The Carbon Footprint Dashboard and Inventory Management Plan—resources provided to all carbon inventory customers of TripleWin—would enable the company to use the results for real-time business decision-making and ongoing sustainability initiatives.
Quantifying emissions in future years would allow Omnipresent to establish a trend line, laying the foundation for setting science-based net zero targets.
Experts
TripleWin Advisory is a boutique corporate consultancy focused on circularity solutions for industry. TripleWin offers a suite of tools to support clients in charting a practical, circular and sustainable course for their business. These tools include:
- Carbon inventories and setting science-based and Net Zero carbon goals
- Materiality assessments and sustainability roadmaps
- Building circular business models supported by financial analysis
- Risk scenario models using the TCFD framework
- Workshops and courses to build employee agency and corporate competency
We work with leaders in the following industries: apparel, footwear & textiles; information technology; metals; beauty; food & beverage; healthcare; building construction; human resource management; and retail.
TripleWin Advisory is an approved CDP climate change consultancy Accredited Service Provider (ASP). We are woman-founded, owned and led; a public benefit company.
Omnipresent, founded in 2019, is a human resources platform that makes it easy to hire and manage remote employees in more than 160 countries. The company takes care of all complex administrative tasks including payroll, benefits and taxes, allowing corporate clients to focus on growth. Omnipresent is itself a global, remote-first company that uses its own platform.
Headquarters:London, UK
Industry:
Human resources services
Main Product:
Hiring and onboarding services
In their words
“TripleWin’s team of carbon accountants are experts at what they do and Renee Shade [Managing Director of Carbon Inventories] is a rockstar with data visualization.”