Conferencing and Remote Working - A Win-Win for Business and Sustainability? Peter James

BACKGROUND  HEEPI/SusteIT -  Collaborative project with JANET - Conferencing in universities  Co-founded world’s first NGO on green ICT  Co-ordinator, EU SusTel Project  Multiple surveys, 10,000 + responses - conferencing, teleworking at BT & customers - conferencing at DFID - broadband/teleworking in Cornwall ActNow

 EU project - 7 partners - 5 countries  Aim - assess the economic, social and environmental impacts of flexible working - 30 case studies + 6 surveys  Aim - Create practical guides and tools

SUSTEL FINDINGS  Positive personal impacts - 85% good quality of life - 73% good work-life balance - 87% more family time - 33% more time on domestic activities - 6% more involved in community  A small minority felt negative/pressured  Reduced travel - although 25-50% offset

ACTNOW  Employers - increased staff retention 60% - reduced business travel 70% - improved customer service 71% - savings in fuel 76% - increased productivity 78%  Employees - reduction in unproductive commuting 83% - improved work life balance 84% - get more work done 89% - work more effectively 93%

TRUE FLEXIBILITY?  “I never had the opportunity to work in the nude in the office!”

“Work becomes more like home, and home becomes more like work” NEW DEMANDS

NEW CHALLENGES  “My office is under the stairs (just like Harry Potter) and I keep bumping my head”

BT CONFERENCING  Eliminated 338,607 trips a year - 42% by car, 79% at congested times  Avoided per call miles travel per call - 40 kg of CO2 (c 54,000 tonnes in total) - travel and subsistence of £271 - £160 of management time  BT total - £81 million of avoided costs - £54 million of time benefits

DFID VIDEOCONF  2500 staff, c 10% ‘power users’  Last call - 18% definitely replaced a meeting - 67% completely met objectives - avoided travel costs of at least £156 per call, £636,000 in total - avoided £24 of wasted time

DFID VIDEOCONF  General - 38% VC had positive effects on work- life balance (compared to 3% negative) - 15% VC avoided work absence in previous four weeks - 47% scope to replace further meetings with VC - main benefits staying in touch with colleagues, and feeling part of a team

KEY CARBON ISSUES  Travel - commuting - in-work - private (e.g. shopping, child care, leisure)  Buildings - heating, cooling, lighting, space  Equipment - electricity, paper  Productivity  Lifestyle

FLEXWORK CASES  Low case - no space; under 8 miles commute - commuting 70 kilos CO 2 gross, 56 net  Moderate case - up to 5 m 2 space, 8 miles + commute distance - space 361 kilos CO 2 gross, 253 net - commuting 504 kilos CO 2 net, 403 gross  High case - 5 m2 + space, 8 miles + commute distance - space 723 kilos CO 2 kilos net, 506 gross - commuting 504 kilos CO 2 net, 403 gross

FLEXWORK REBOUNDS On a ‘worst case’ assumption of 48% offset of initial commute savings - carbon savings equivalent to 39% of total BT company car miles

FLEXWORK REBOUNDS  Factors - climatic conditions - home characteristics - preferences - number and efficiency of appliances - energy prices  BT home metering ( ) - 25% increase in electricity  Sun (2008) - office 130 watts per hour per worker - home 64 watts per hour per worker

ENERGY (KWH/M2)  UK Office naturally ventilated, cellular (2003) naturally ventilated, open plan (2003) air conditioned, standard (2005) air conditioned, prestige (2005)  UK dwelling (2005 average, all stock) (built to 1998 Building Regs) (built to 2005 Building Regs)  Sweden - 45 (2001 ultra energy efficient apartment)

CONFERENCE CASES  Low case % calls avoid one return journey avoided journeys per user, annually - 10,384 tonnes CO 2 per annum  Moderate case - 20% calls avoid two return journeys - a return journey is 267 miles (55 kg CO 2 ) avoided journeys per user, annually - 83,076 tonnes CO 2 per annum  High case (‘raw’ survey results) avoided journeys per user, annually - 299,076 tonnes CO 2 per annum -

CONCLUSIONS  E-enabled working: - doesn’t eliminate face-to-face - quality not quantity - creates new opportunities - creates some rebounds  Positive carbon/environmental impacts if: - effectively managed - used in the right ways - context is right

ASSESSING IMPACTS 1.Scoping - setting boundaries - identifying the reference case - identifying the functional unit - determining impact significance 2.Calculating per unit impacts - net MINUS gross (delivery + rebound) - range of cases 3.Determining volume multiplier 4.Conducting reality check 5.Producing indicator