If not now, then when?

Choosing a better path while the planet takes a breather

Take business travel as an example. Carbon offsets were supposed to disincentivize travel by making it cost more, but emissions from air travel still continue to rise. Most companies did not alter their travel practices to meet sustainability targets, even as tools enabling digital connection became ubiquitous.

Now, we are seeing what happens when all of that travel stops. As businesses resume a more normal level of activity, there is an opportunity to ask whether all this jetting around is actually worth as much as we thought. Travel may still be necessary, but we are also learning that people can deliver the same value without going anywhere. New policies integrating eco-responsibility can be a bigger part of how we decide to travel (or not) in the future.

The daily commute is also ready for a rethink. We formerly took it as a given that most people have to go to physical workplaces to do their jobs well. This carries a built-in environmental and quality-of-life cost, and increasingly looks like a relic of the Industrial Revolution. The recent mass shift to telework—in which up to half of all workers in the US are working from home—calls into question the assumption that people must colocate to work effectively.

The telework shift has been challenging to many, especially those who have had to balance work with child or dependent care. However, it is now clear that many more people could telework than did before the crisis. Asking fewer people to commute frees up time and resources that could be put to better use. For example, Seattle recently announced that several streets that were blocked off to enable citizens to exercise during the pandemic will now be permanently closed.

Also in service of wellness, this time has inspired a long overdue debate about about natural ventilation. For a long time, we’ve assumed that ducted ventilation was better than fresh air because it is more controllable. Yet, right now, people are opening their windows to protect themselves from COVID. Operable windows have long been the bete noir of HVAC engineers. It’s true that opening a window can hamper the functioning of a finely-tuned ventilation system. It’s also true that fresh air is the best air, having been shown to benefit overall health, well-being, and even productivity.

We are fans of biophilia, design that mimics or is inspired by nature, because it improves the workplace experience. Also among its virtues: it encourages designers to think more holistically. In environmental design, there is a tendency to isolate technical and functional elements of a building—ventilation, lighting, acoustics—and to optimize them individually. Biophilic design encourages one to think of building elements as an interconnected system—much like nature itself. A tree, for example, doesn’t just do one thing. It offers protection from the elements, cleans the air, stimulates the mind and may even provide food all at the same time.

While the need to restart economies is pressing, environmental concerns cannot be tossed aside. In fact, there has never been a better time to make them an integrated part of our approach to work. The next few months may well determine whether we continue on the previous unsustainable path or successfully shift toward the greener future.

From the archives

Around this time last year, our newsletter explored what it takes to be a great remote employer. The measures we advocated back then—a focus on wellness, culture, and investment in increased capacity—remain every bit as relevant today.

Back in 2017, we appeared at Cornell’s ILR School alongside our longtime friend, collaborator, and Cornell alum, Nick Livigne. Our discussion focused on space as a driver of innovation and collaboration.

That’s all for this month. We want to hear more about what you’ve learned from work in the time of COVID. Drop us a line to share your thoughts, sustainability hacks, or social distancing stories.