Why Remote Work Shows Up in Your Footprint

When employees work from home, they still consume energy in order to perform business activities. Laptops, Wi-Fi routers, lighting, and heating or cooling systems all generate greenhouse gas emissions.

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is the world’s most widely used standard for carbon accounting. It categorizes emissions into three groups:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources a company owns or controls, such as company vehicles or on-site fuel use.

• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy, such as electricity or heating used in company offices.

• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions. This includes employee commuting, business travel, purchased goods, and energy use from remote work.
  

Remote work is treated as an alternative to commuting. Instead of emissions from travel to and from the office, the impact shifts to home energy use.

Does Remote Work Increase or Decrease Emissions?

For most businesses, remote and hybrid models reduce overall emissions compared to traditional commuting.

• Reduced commuting miles. Employees who no longer drive or use transit every day lower Scope 3 commuting emissions.

• Lower office energy use. Fewer people in the office reduces heating, cooling, and lighting needs.
  

However, remote work is not impact-free. Energy use at home increases, particularly for heating and cooling during work hours. If an office remains fully powered while employees also work remotely, emissions can overlap. The net effect depends on how the office is managed and the energy mix in the region.

How to Account for It

Small and mid-sized businesses can take a simple, credible approach to remote work accounting:

1. Survey employees. Ask how many days per week they work remotely and what energy sources they use at home.

2. Apply standard factors. Use emission factors provided by the GHG Protocol or national databases to estimate average energy use for remote work.

3. Stay consistent. Apply the same method each year so results are comparable over time.

4. Report transparently. Share both the reduction in commuting emissions and the addition of remote work emissions.
   

This balance shows the true impact of hybrid or remote policies.

Why It Matters for SMBs

• Supply chain requests. Larger customers often ask suppliers for full Scope 3 data. Including remote work shows you are prepared.

• Trust and transparency. Acknowledging remote work in your footprint demonstrates accuracy and credibility.

• Positive story. Hybrid work can reduce total emissions while also supporting employee satisfaction and retention.

The Bottom Line

Yes, your remote employees count toward your company’s emissions. Under the GHG Protocol, they are part of Scope 3, along with commuting and business travel.

For most businesses, remote and hybrid work reduce total emissions, but the only way to know for sure is to measure and report transparently. By including remote work in your footprint, you prove that your sustainability reporting is complete, consistent, and credible.