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Transport · Action #9
Work from home
Every day you work from home instead of commuting by car is a day of driving emissions that simply does not happen. Unlike most reduction actions, this one requires no purchase, no infrastructure change, and no behaviour change beyond where you open your laptop. The saving is proportional to your commute distance and vehicle type.
~0.72 tons CO₂e/yr
~3.6 tons CO₂e/yr
Depends on employer policy
Net saving (fuel + time)
Direct answer
Working from home eliminates commuting emissions for each day not driven. For a standard petrol car driver (25 MPG) with a 16-mile one-way commute — the US average, according to the US Census Bureau — each WFH day saves an estimated 0.014 tons CO₂e, based on EPA GHG Hub 2025 full CO₂e emission factors. Adding one WFH day per week saves approximately 0.72 tons CO₂e per year; going fully remote saves approximately 3.6 tons CO₂e per year. Savings scale with commute distance and are higher for SUV or truck drivers.
How commuting emissions are calculated
Commuting emissions are a subset of total annual driving emissions. The Decarb calculator models transport emissions based on vehicle type and total annual mileage. Commuting contributes the largest share of annual mileage for most car-dependent workers — the US Census Bureau reports the national average one-way commute distance at approximately 16 miles, producing a daily round-trip of 32 miles. A five-day commuter driving 50 weeks per year covers approximately 8,000 commute miles annually, out of the FHWA default total of 12,000 miles per year.
Each commute mile driven in a standard petrol car (25 MPG) produces approximately 0.000358 tons CO₂e, based on EPA GHG Hub 2025 full CO₂e factors. A 32-mile round-trip commute therefore produces approximately 0.01145 tons CO₂e per day. Over a full working year (250 days), the commute alone accounts for an estimated 2.86 tons CO₂e — roughly two-thirds of the 4.3 t CO₂e total annual transport footprint at 12,000 miles.
Key figure
0.014 tons CO₂e
Per WFH day saved for a standard petrol car (25 MPG) at 16-mile one-way commute. Source: EPA GHG Hub 2025, US Census Bureau ACS 2023.
Estimated annual saving by WFH frequency and vehicle type
The table below shows estimated annual emission savings for different WFH arrangements and vehicle types, at the US average commute distance of 16 miles one-way (32 miles round-trip), based on EPA GHG Hub 2025 full CO₂e factors. Savings scale linearly with actual commute distance.
| WFH arrangement | Days saved/yr | Petrol car (25 MPG) | SUV/truck (17 MPG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day/week WFH | ~50 | ~0.72 t CO₂e/yr | ~1.06 t CO₂e/yr |
| 2 days/week WFH | ~100 | ~1.45 t CO₂e/yr | ~2.13 t CO₂e/yr |
| 3 days/week WFH | ~150 | ~2.17 t CO₂e/yr | ~3.19 t CO₂e/yr |
| Fully remote | ~250 | ~3.58 t CO₂e/yr | ~5.27 t CO₂e/yr |
Methodology note
Figures assume 16-mile one-way commute (32 miles round-trip), 50 working weeks per year. EPA GHG Hub 2025 full CO₂e emission factors: 0.358 kg CO₂e per mile for standard petrol (25 MPG), 0.527 kg CO₂e per mile for large SUV/truck (17 MPG). These cover tailpipe emissions only (Scope 1). For a commuter with a different commute distance, multiply their round-trip miles by the per-mile factor and by the number of WFH days to calculate their saving. See decarb.co/methodology for full source documentation.
How to make the case for more WFH days
Calculate your personal saving first
Multiply your one-way commute distance in miles by 2 (round-trip), then by the per-mile emission factor for your vehicle (0.358 kg CO₂e/mile for a standard petrol car, 0.527 for an SUV), then by the number of additional WFH days you are requesting per year. Expressing the request in concrete tons CO₂e — rather than vague environmental language — is more persuasive in a professional context and allows your employer to count it toward any sustainability commitments they have.
Frame WFH around productivity and output, not personal preference
Employer resistance to remote work typically centres on concerns about visibility, collaboration, and output quality — not emissions. The strongest case for additional WFH days is a track record of maintained or improved output on existing remote days. If your employer has a sustainability target or reports Scope 3 employee commuting emissions (as required by the GHG Protocol for Category 7), the quantified commute reduction is directly relevant to their reporting obligations.
Propose a trial period with defined success criteria
A request for a permanent change to working arrangements is more likely to be approved if it starts as a trial. Propose a 90-day trial of one additional WFH day per week with specific deliverables and a review at the end. Most managers find it easier to approve a bounded trial than an open-ended structural change, and most trials result in continuation where output is maintained.
Combine WFH with a vehicle or mode switch for compounding savings
WFH days reduce total annual mileage, which multiplies the savings from any vehicle upgrade. A driver who switches from a standard petrol car to a hybrid and adds two WFH days per week does not simply add the two savings — the hybrid’s lower per-mile factor applies to fewer total miles, while the WFH saving is calculated on top. The combined effect is larger than either action alone.
Common blockers and how to think about them
My job requires physical presence. Many roles genuinely require on-site presence — healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and construction being obvious examples. For roles where a meaningful portion of work is administrative, communicative, or analytical, partial remote work is often feasible even when full remote is not. A single WFH day per week for an office worker with a 16-mile commute saves an estimated 0.72 t CO₂e per year — worth pursuing even where full remote is impossible.
Working from home increases my home energy use. This is true — heating, cooling, and electricity consumption increase when you are at home during work hours. However, research including studies from the IEA and academic transport researchers consistently finds that the commuting emission savings substantially outweigh the home energy increase for car commuters, typically by a factor of 3–5×. The net saving remains strongly positive in most climates and housing types.
I don’t commute by car — I take public transit. If your commute is by train, subway, or bus, the emission saving from WFH is lower — public transit produces roughly 0.05–0.10 kg CO₂e per passenger-mile depending on the network and energy source, versus 0.358 kg CO₂e per mile for a solo petrol car driver. The saving still exists but is approximately 3–7× smaller per day. For public transit commuters, other reduction actions in the transport category may rank higher in your personal plan.
Case study: negotiating one extra day
Illustrative example
Tom is 29 and works as a data analyst in a mid-sized company in suburban Atlanta. He drives a standard petrol car (26 MPG) with a 22-mile one-way commute — longer than average. His current arrangement is three days in the office and two days remote per week. He calculates his commuting saving from the existing two WFH days: 2 days × 50 weeks × 44 miles × 0.358 kg CO₂e/mile ÷ 1,000 = approximately 1.57 t CO₂e per year already saved.
He requests a trial of three WFH days per week, framing it around a project he will be leading remotely for the next quarter. His manager agrees to a 90-day trial. Adding one further WFH day per week saves an additional 50 × 44 miles × 0.358 ÷ 1,000 = approximately 0.79 t CO₂e per year, bringing his total WFH saving to 2.36 t CO₂e per year.
He also saves approximately $1,400 per year in fuel and parking costs from the additional WFH day, which he notes when the trial is reviewed.
Related actions
Transport
Switch to an electric vehicle
Lower per-mile emissions on every mile you do drive — compounds directly with reduced commute mileage from WFH.
Transport
Switch to a hybrid vehicle
Reduce per-mile emissions on your remaining commute days while you work toward full remote or EV ownership.
Transport
Car-share your commute
On the days you do commute, sharing a car halves per-person emissions — a strong complement to partial WFH.
Frequently asked questions
How much does working from home reduce your carbon footprint?
For a standard petrol car driver (25 MPG) with a 16-mile one-way commute, each WFH day saves an estimated 0.014 tons CO₂e. Adding one WFH day per week saves approximately 0.72 tons CO₂e per year; going fully remote saves approximately 3.6 tons CO₂e per year. Savings scale with commute distance and are higher for SUV or truck drivers, based on EPA GHG Hub 2025 full CO₂e emission factors.
Does working from home increase home energy emissions enough to cancel out the commute saving?
No, for car commuters. Research consistently finds that the commuting emission savings outweigh the home energy increase by a factor of approximately 3–5× for petrol car drivers. The additional home heating or cooling required during working hours is small relative to the avoided driving emissions. The net saving remains strongly positive in most climates and housing types. For public transit commuters, the margin is smaller but still typically positive.
Does WFH have a smaller impact if I commute by public transit?
Yes. Public transit produces roughly 0.05–0.10 kg CO₂e per passenger-mile depending on the network and energy source, compared to 0.358 kg CO₂e per mile for a solo petrol car driver. The WFH saving is approximately 3–7× smaller per day for public transit commuters. For these users, other reduction actions — such as switching to a renewable energy tariff or changing diet — may rank higher in impact.
Can I count working from home as a reduction action in my Decarb report?
Yes. The Decarb calculator uses total annual mileage as the input for transport emissions. If you currently work from home on some days, your actual annual mileage is already lower than a full-time office commuter driving the same vehicle. If you plan to increase your WFH days, you can estimate the resulting mileage reduction and recalculate your footprint to see the projected saving.
How does WFH compare to switching to an EV in terms of emission reduction?
Switching from a standard petrol car to an EV at the same mileage saves an estimated 2.8 tons CO₂e per year (4.3 − 1.5 t CO₂e at 12,000 miles). Adding two WFH days per week for a 16-mile commuter saves approximately 1.45 tons CO₂e per year. The EV switch produces a larger total saving, but the two actions address different portions of driving — the EV reduces per-mile emissions on every mile driven, while WFH eliminates specific commute miles entirely. Combined, they are more powerful than either alone.
Your personal reduction plan
See exactly how much your commute contributes to your footprint
Calculate your estimated carbon footprint in 3 minutes. Your personalised report ranks all your highest-impact reduction actions — transport, energy, flights, and more — by tons CO₂e saved.
Sources
- EPA, GHG Emission Factors Hub, 2025. Full CO₂e tailpipe emission factors for petrol vehicles at stated MPG values. Standard petrol car (25 MPG): 0.358 kg CO₂e/mile; large SUV/truck (17 MPG): 0.527 kg CO₂e/mile.
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2023. Mean one-way commute distance: approximately 16 miles; mean commute time: 27.6 minutes.
- FHWA, Our Nation’s Highways, 2022. US average annual vehicle miles travelled: 12,000 miles per driver.
- IEA, Teleworking and its impacts on transport energy demand, 2022. Net emission savings from telework for car commuters after accounting for increased home energy use.
- GHG Protocol, Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, 2011. Category 7: Employee commuting. Methodology for employer-side commuting emission accounting.
- Decarb, Internal Methodology Specification v1.2, 2026. Transport category emission factors and annual mileage default assumptions.