Can working less and changing company culture really save the planet?

Can working less and changing company culture really save the planet?

There is also a lot of discussion around consumption and the amount we work; with many suggesting that working less could be the secret to saving the planet. But is this true?
An article published by the financial times, Norwegian research from 2016 suggests at least 60% of all greenhouse gases can be traced back to consumption. They argue that if the developed world worked less, we would earn less and spend less, helping the planet as a result. This supports the argument for a 4-day working week, which has been pushed since the pandemic. Not only would the extra day help employees, wellbeing but it could help save the planet too. In fact, research published recently by the environmental organisation Platform London showed that moving to a four-day, 32-hour working week (with no reduction in pay for workers) would reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year. It would reduce the amount of commuting, the amount of energy used by offices, reduce the need for office supplies and waste and also could give employees valuable time to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. Right now, time is so limited we’re all guilty of cutting corners. To put it into perspective, experts believe that a four-day working week would reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by 21.3%, which is more than the total carbon footprint of Switzerland and would be the same as taking 27 million cars off the road. It would mean UK employees would drive 558 million miles less every week. Crazy right?

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