Virtual conferences cut the cost of emissions

Abandoning physical attendance at conferences significantly reduces emissions per head by participants. Those travelling to the average international 12-day conference – like the impending COP26 on climate change, due in Glasgow this November – will each score up an average of 2,961kg of carbon emissions.

The bulk of this, 2,300kg, will be due to flights. But even when locals attend such a conference, totalling up hotel accommodation, local transport of ten miles to the venue and conference venue, fuel will still come to 660kg per head, according to the Polish National Centre for Emissions Management.

In contrast, participation in a viral conference lasting 12 days – including emissions from home gas and electricity; computer manufacture; and use of networks and data centres – averages out at just 36kg per person. That is only 7 per cent of the carbon footprint of being at a local conference. And just 1 per cent of the emissions caused by attending an international conference.

However, working from home full time,as over one third of the British workforce did during this year’s lockdown, increased home energy consumption considerably. Pre-pandemic, only around 5 per cent of people worked at home.

This has led to fears that British employees continuing to do so could be left colder and poorer in the long-term, unless more is done to retrofit draughty homes.

UK households used 14 per cent more heating this winter during weekday working hours compared to the same time last year, according to research by smart thermostat company tado°.

However, some European nations with well-insulated homes registered only a slight increase in home heating use. In Germany heating use jumped by around 9 per cent, while Denmark and Sweden saw a rise of just over five per cent each.

Research by Energy Helpline estimates thatthe average homeworker’s energy bill could have risen by as much as £107 this winter, if working from home five days a week.

A hundred people working at home burn a lot more fuel than a hundred people in one office. If we are in a situation where the home office or flexible working is here to stay, this just might finally motivate the UK government to speed up energy renovations of homes.