Prefer Green Jobs? Quit Office!

There is quite a craze for opting for Green Jobs in US. This new concept manifested with arrival of new clean-tech companies, created to help solve the climate crisis. Inspite of all the ideas about economic efficiency of such working model only a small fraction of U.S. workforce is actually employed in such Green Undertakings. This concern for environmental issues might affect our little decisions but it certainly doesn’t seem to be the viable choice for Career!

What is required is the mass adoption of globe-friendly workplaces or rather the choice to have the minimal required office space. Offices account for about 38% of all greenhouse gas emissions. And according to the U.S. Green Building Council, over approximately the next 20 years, greenhouse gas emissions from offices are expected to grow faster than those in any other sector. Getting to the office also generates problems; American workers spend on average 40 minutes a day commuting — this amounts to eight weeks a year spent in the car. In total, this can waste more than 3.7 billion hours in lost productivity and 2.3 billion gallons of gas annually. What a price for something most of us don’t like doing: sitting in traffic.

Now, it’s estimated that approximately 40% of jobs could be performed remotely, at least part of the time. Commuting to offices made perfect sense before the advent of Internet. Now the technological developments have given us total freedom from relying on physical presence to achieve some particular goal. Additionally, workers tend to be less absent while they are given free reign over their working space and time. In fact certain surveys have proved that employee’s efficiency is by no means affected, but quite better when it comes to performing in a virtual office.

The long-term environmental cost is too great not to try. The journey alone — which will reduce costs and enable happier and more productive employees — is well worth it.