The Green Side of WFH: Top U.S. Cities Where Remote Work Positively Influences the Environment

Photo of Maria Zidaru Maria Zidaru
green cw

Key Takeaways:

  • Most U.S. cities analyzed showed reductions in electricity and gas consumption, overall carbon footprint, and improvements in air quality as WFH jobs increased.
  • Baltimore, MD leads the cohort of larger cities by reducing its carbon footprint almost 27% since 2019.
  • Pittsburgh, PA reduced its electricity and gas consumption while tripling its levels of WFH adoption.
  • WFH jobs in Quincy, MA jumped more than 400% while reducing its carbon footprint and improving its air quality.

Hybrid work models — now embraced by more than 22 million Americans — have become an integral part of today’s work landscape, and their influence reaches far beyond the office. What was popularized as a temporary shift during the pandemic has transformed the way we work — and, as it turns out, the way we interact with the environment. From reduced commuter emissions to better air quality, work from home (WFH) promotes meaningful environmental benefits with significant results when working two to four days per week from home. As such, companies and employees alike are embracing this model not only for the convenience, but also for its green potential.

For this study, we examined WFH at the city level, as well as simultaneous events — such as the reduction of carbon footprints, lowering of electricity consumption per capita and encouragement of sustainable choices. Understanding these effects can guide businesses and individuals toward greener practices. Methodology details are provided at the end of the article.

Big Effects in Big Cities: Baltimore Cuts Carbon Footprint by Nearly 27% for Highest Change Seen Among Large Cities

Baltimore, MD stands out with an almost 27% decrease in its carbon footprint and a 7% air quality improvement since 2019. Here, the WFH evolution registers close to a 200% increase, even if various factors likely played a role in these green results. In a surprising turn, the city’s electricity consumption per customer also dropped by almost 4%, earning it third place in this metric.

At just a jump away, Washington, D.C. has reshaped expectations with a reduction in electricity consumption per capita of almost 14% and an over 23% decrease in its carbon footprint. Notably, the nearly 280% increase in WFH here stands out as a contributor to this transformation. These gains can also be attributed to several factors, including the expansion of renewable energy sources, while also highlighting the profound influence of shifting workplace behaviors.

Next, San Jose, CA secures third place overall among large cities, driven by an impressive 7% savings in commute time even as remote work nearly quadrupled (close to 290% increase). This efficiency appears to have triggered a domino effect as gas consumption per capita dropped by almost 6% and, thus, San Jose reduced its carbon footprint by more than 8% within the city limits. Additionally, San Jose has improved its transit infrastructure with upgrades to the Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

Among the large cities, several stand out for their impressive green advancements and strong performances in specific metrics. For instance, San Francisco, CA boasts a nearly 260% increase in WFH, which has resulted in a 6% reduction in commute times. Across the country, Boston, MA has seen WFH rates grow by more than 370% to cut its carbon footprint by 10% and save almost 4% in electricity consumption per capita.

Cleaner Skies in Mid-Sized Cities: St. Paul Sees 12% Carbon Footprint Reduction & 5% Boost in Air Quality

Newark, NJ has been driving eco-friendly transformations thanks to a great decrease in its carbon footprint (8%) and as its remote work model has risen by almost 190%. At the same time, the city logs a 6% reduction in commuting times to rank second in this metric. Furthermore, Newark has invested in new bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly areas. Due to these combined efforts, the air quality has improved by 6%.

On the opposite coast, Oakland and Irvine have both seen positive environmental impacts. Specifically, both saw similar declines in the carbon footprint (more than 8%), gas consumption (almost 6%) and electricity utilization (albeit, just by a minor 1%). But Oakland stands slightly above Irvine with a 6% commute times improvement and close to 190% in remote work adoption. Irvine closely follows, boasting a nearly 5% reduction in commute times and an impressive 180% increase in WFH adoption, further contributing to environmental gains.

In terms of standout performances, St. Paul, MN records a 12% drop in its carbon footprint, along with a 180% increase in remote work. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh, PA has seen a 210% gain in WFH, even as the electricity consumption per customer dropped.

Driving Big Changes in Small Cities: Quincy, MA Quintuples WFH Adoption & Cuts Commute Times by 7%

Leading the small cities category, Columbia, MD has achieved a 27% reduction in its carbon footprint alongside a nearly 260% increase in WFH since 2019. Moreover, the electricity consumption per capita fell by almost 4% to place the city second in the metric. Concurrently, the air quality improved by 7%, underscoring the positive environmental effect of these combined efforts. This accomplishment is also driven by a strong push for electric vehicle adoption — a key factor in the city’s sustainability progress.

That said, Quincy, MA has experienced the most impressive transformation in WFH with an increase of over 420%. With this shift, the city has reduced its commuting times by 7%, ranking third in the metric. Like Columbia, MD, electricity consumption per customer in Quincy has decreased by almost 4%. It’s also worth noting that Massachusetts has one of the country’s leading energy-efficiency programs, which likely plays a part in the overall positive influence on the environment.

On the West Coast, Simi Valley, CA ranks third overall and leads in the commute time metric with an impressive 8% reduction to secure first place in this category. The city also logged a 130% increase in remote work and a corresponding decrease of more than 8% in its carbon footprint. In this case, Simi Valley has benefited from statewide energy-efficiency programs, which is important to consider when looking at these results.

Other noteworthy mentions include El Cajon, CA which has seen a nearly 7% improvement in commute times, and Lafayette, LA which has reduced its carbon footprint by over 17%.

These results highlight the positive direction of current environmental changes and initiatives. While there’s still room for improvement, factors such as state policies, the growing adoption of remote work and other behavioral shifts appear to be strong starting points for further environmental progress.

Methodology:

For the purposes of this article, we used data from the following public sources:

Fair Use & Redistribution

We encourage and freely grant permission to reuse, host or repost the images in this article. When doing so, we kindly ask that you attribute the authors by linking to CoworkingMag.com or this page to allow your readers to learn more about this project, the research behind it and its methodology.

 

 

Photo of Maria Zidaru Maria Zidaru
Photo of Maria Zidaru

Maria Zidaru

Maria Zidaru is a creative writer at CoworkingCafe and CoworkingMag, with degrees in Literature and Marketing. Her background in both accounting and publishing provides a diverse perspective to her writings. From arts to chess and real estate, Maria is enthusiastic about engaging in subjects that provide value to her readers.
Back to top button