Telecommuting & Work at Home Case Studies

City of Calgary

According to telecommuting statistics from a 2007 pilot project by the City of Calgary, within four months of part-time teleworking, 656 fewer commuting trips were recorded, equal to avoiding a staggering 80,000 kilometres of driving. With just 100 employees engaged in part-time telework, Calgary saw a reduction 18,000 kilograms of CO2 and saved an estimated 7,000 litres of fuel.

Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems, a multi-national computer system, service and technology provider with a significant presence in Canada, has been recognized worldwide for its suite of telework programs. In the United States, highly respected think tank Environmental Defense Fund and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger awarded public praise on Sun Microsystem’s telework program in May 2008. 

The program, called OpenWork, includes technologies, tools, support processes and a corporate culture that helps to make green business “business as usual”.

According to telecommuting statistics from a 2004 Sun Microsystems white paper, drafted in collaboration with Forum for the Future (a British charity for sustainable business research), over two million UK citizens telecommute, and that number is rising rapidly. In northern countries, like Finland and Sweden, 17% of the population telecommutes.

Here in Alberta, the OpenWork pilot program has reduced CO2 emissions by 3,000 kilograms per telecommuter.

Bell Canada 

According to Bell Canada’s 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility report, customer webcasts, and audio and video conferences have saved approximately 1.9 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases; the equivalent of 403,000 mid-sized car emissions.  

Bell is also helping Canadians work virtually on a day-to-day basis through its telework program. More than 20,000 Bell employees are equipped to telecommute, reducing company-related travel by 110 million kilometres and saving 20,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.