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The environmental impact of remote working: insights from a survey conducted in Banca d'Italia

Author

Listed:
  • Dario Alessandro de Pinto

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Donato Milella

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Daniele Macali

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Riccardo Basile

    (ENEA)

  • Carmen Lavinia

    (ENEA)

  • Giovanni Murano

    (ENEA)

  • Marco Rao

    (ENEA)

  • Roberta Roberto

    (ENEA)

  • Andrea Tortora

    (ENEA)

  • Alessandro Zini

    (ENEA)

Abstract

The study estimates the variation in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the adoption of a flexible work organization, using data from a survey conducted among Banca d'Italia's employees and a calculation tool developed by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The average per-capita GHG emissions for employees' home-to-work commuting were found to be 4.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kgCOâ‚‚e) for each day worked in the office. GHG emissions associated with additional household energy consumption due to heating, cooling, computer use and lighting amount to 1.1 kgCOâ‚‚e for one day of remote work. Overall, the use of remote work had a net positive impact on the environment. The study also provides an estimate of the average GHG emissions due to increased domestic energy consumption for one day of remote work, broken down by climate zone, which can potentially be used by other companies and institutions to calculate the Scope 3 GHG emissions associated with remote work.

Suggested Citation

  • Dario Alessandro de Pinto & Donato Milella & Daniele Macali & Riccardo Basile & Carmen Lavinia & Giovanni Murano & Marco Rao & Roberta Roberto & Andrea Tortora & Alessandro Zini, 2026. "The environmental impact of remote working: insights from a survey conducted in Banca d'Italia," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 999, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_999_26
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2026-0999/QEF_999_26.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mauro Adriel Ríos Villacorta & Emma Verónica Ramos Farroñán & Roger Ernesto Alarcón García & Gabriela Lizeth Castro Ijiri & Jessie Leila Bravo-Jaico & Angélica María Minchola Vásquez & Lucila María Ga, 2025. "Telework for a Sustainable Future: Systematic Review of Its Contribution to Global Corporate Sustainability (2020–2024)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-32, June.
    2. Andrew Hook & Victor Court & Benjamin K Sovacool & Steven Sorrell, 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Energy and Climate Impacts of Teleworking," Working Papers hal-03192905, HAL.
    3. Coskun, Sena & Dauth, Wolfgang & Gartner, Hermann & Stops, Michael & Weber, Enzo, 2026. "Working from home increases work–home distances," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    4. repec:iab:iabdpa:20246 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. William Larson & Weihua Zhao, 2017. "Telework: Urban Form, Energy Consumption, And Greenhouse Gas Implications," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 55(2), pages 714-735, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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