IWG, the world's largest provider of flexible workspaces, with brands such as Spaces and Regus, surveyed more than 500 CEOs and facilities managers at businesses that have adopted hybrid work policies. The findings showed that the average energy consumption at these companies has decreased by 19% since they introduced hybrid work policies, benefiting both the environment and their profitability.
The study highlights significant environmental and economic benefits for businesses that adopt the hybrid work model and move from expensive downtown office space to smaller regional offices and co-working buildings in strategic locations close to where employees live.
Almost half of those surveyed (44%) have reduced traditional office space by a quarter (25%), resulting in lower energy consumption and operating costs, while 19% have managed to reduce their office space spaces by 26%-50%. An impressive 84% said in the survey that hybrid working was instrumental in reducing the company's overall energy consumption and ecological footprint, with room for even greater reduction as 79% of businesses are willing to explore additional ways to reduce energy consumption, such as by shrinking workplaces or giving workers access to flexible workplaces.
Smaller, regional flexible workplaces have higher occupancy rates and therefore lower emissions per employee. A previous IWG survey found that only one in five would travel more than 30 minutes each day to work, while 60% want to work less than 15 minutes from their home.
A previous Environmental Impact Study (EIA) carried out by the IWG and ARUP had also shown that working closer to home could reduce carbon emissions by up to 70% in Manchester (UK), 87% in Los Angeles (US ), 82% in New York, and almost 90% in Atlanta, mainly due to reductions in building and transportation emissions.
