Business Energy Savings

Teleworking/ Teleconferencing

Teleworking

Teleworking is simply working from a distance – using home offices or other locations nearer to an employee’s home. Telework is rarely implemented for energy and emission reductions alone – it not only reduces the energy consumption and emissions associated with commuting, it can also reduce business costs and increase productivity, and make your company a more attractive place to work.

No costs/ low costs options

• Allow (and encourage) staff to work from home on a few days each month
• Offer to help set up a home office instead of providing a company car
• Find out more about the real business benefits telework can offer.
• Ensure performance management systems work regardless of where staff are located.
• Make notebook and portable computing options part of your next office technology upgrade.
• Prepare a detailed cost-benefit analysis to see whether your company could make tangible gains from telework.
• Set up a telecentre (a place where telework happens) for your staff, if many travel from the same part of town.

• Establish a formal telework policy for all staff

Teleconferencing

• Consider using videoconferencing or phone conferencing instead. Ideal for short meetings where you already know the people, you will save money, lots of travel time and limit your pollution to whatever it takes to get to the nearest videoconferencing centre.
• Compensate for the environmental impact of your travel by buying carbon offsets.

Sources:

www.nzbcsd.org.nz