This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
BUSINESSES are reportedly cutting energy usage by almost a fifth by providing teams with access to flexible workspaces.
According to IWG, the world’s largest provider of hybrid working solutions, businesses have cut energy usage by 19% by replacing large city centre office space with smaller, more energy efficient spaces including flexible workspaces.
The report, which surveyed more than 500 leaders and facilities managers, found 84% of businesses that have adopted hybrid working have cut back their energy usage and overall carbon footprint.
While 79% of respondents are looking to explore additional avenues for reducing energy consumption, including downsizing their existing city-centre office spaces or offering employees access to flexible workspaces.
44% of those surveyed said they have cut back on their traditional office space by 25% leading to reductions in energy consumed and operational costs and with an additional 19% achieving even greater reductions by reducing office space by 26-50%.
“The global shift to hybrid working is not only bringing strong productivity and financial advantages to companies and work-life balance improvements to employees, but significant environmental benefits too,” said Mark Dixon, CEO at IWG.
“This latest research confirms that businesses that have adopted the hybrid model have already reduced their energy usage significantly.”
The survey also found that smaller regional flexible workspaces also see higher occupancy rates and lower emissions per employee.
With an earlier IWG and ARUP study revealing that working closer to home can slash carbon emissions by up to 70% in Manchester (UK), 87% in Los Angeles (USA), 82% in New York City, and almost 90% in Atlanta (USA).
“The environmental benefits of hybrid working do not end there,” added Dixon.
“By simply empowering people to work close to where they live, enabling them to split their time between a local workplace and home, earlier research by Arup has shown that this model has the potential to reduce a worker’s work-related carbon emissions by 90%.”
