As federal workers slam office mandate, study finds remote work cuts emissions [Video]

Federal employees in Ottawa produced 25 per cent fewer emissions when they worked remotely compared to those who were working in the office full time, a new study suggests, in research that comes as a major public sector union continues to push back on the government mandating more in-office work. 

The decrease in emissions associated with remote work was even more pronounced for federal employees in Quebec, where emissions were 64 per cent lower compared to in-person workers, the study found, largely as a result of more energy-efficient homes in the province. 

The government-funded report, produced by Carleton University in Ottawa, surveyed 1,500 public servants across three government offices, including the Canada Revenue Agency, and looked at emissions from transportation, homes, offices and internet use.

The results come slightly more than a month after new requirements for federal employees came into effect, mandating that hybrid public servants needed to work …