Today, June 5th, is World Environment Day 🍃 and at ITBX , we reflect on the positive impacts that the telework revolution has brought to our ecosystem.

In 2016, the Ministry of ICTs of Colombia declared that if half of Bogotá's economically active population teleworked for a year, it would save the equivalent of 25,000 hectares of forest. No one anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which accelerated this process to unexpected levels over the following three years. However, the telework boom seems to be ending. According to the latest DANE Social Pulse Survey, the number of employees in this mode dropped from 9.1% in March 2022 to 5.54% in March 2023. It is no secret that many companies are forcing their employees to return to the office more frequently.

Therefore, after experiencing one of the most severe droughts in our country, we highlight three benefits that this hybrid or telework modality can bring to our environment.

1. Reduce Traffic Emissions 🚗
   According to a study by the Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals in Spain, working from home four days a week could reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions produced by traffic by up to 10%. In the European country, the transportation sector represents over 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the need to commute to the office daily means fewer cars on the road and a significant improvement in air quality.
   Remember how during the pandemic, Bogotá residents could see the Nevado del Ruiz and Tolima from the city due to reduced pollution.
2. Save on Energy Consumption 🔦
   One of the main problems with the current energy model lies in the massive use of more polluting fossil fuels: exploitation of deposits, CO2 emissions, water and soil contamination, and other harmful gases in the atmosphere. It’s not possible to estimate or compare home consumption to office use, but it can be said that telework could lead employees to more personal and moderate use.
   There is greater incentive to save, as employees bear the cost of their own space and resources. Daily office use implies more lights on and machinery running, leading to unnecessary energy waste. This practice reduces electricity costs and helps companies decrease their carbon footprints.
3. Replace Physical Office Resources 📑
   Remote work could save around 247 billion sheets of paper and 16 billion trees from deforestation. It is undeniable that office paper use often results in large amounts of waste by the end of the day. About 45% of printed paper ends up in the trash or becomes obsolete within a couple of months.
   In this sense, offices should increasingly invest in digital platforms and cloud-based applications to reduce physical waste like paper and physical storage spaces. If employees have access to these programs from home, office visits can be optimized to be productive and attractive for all members of the company.

What other benefits has telework brought you? 

How has telework contributed to your company's growth? 🌎