The pandemic has made all of us question how we want to work and how we should work. It feels currently, rightly or wrongly, as if we are emerging from the pandemic, and life, particularly work, is getting back to normal. The office is back, dust off your suits and pack away your jammies and leisure wear. Or is it?
After all, just last week the International Energy Agency issued a 10-Point Plan to Cut Oil Use, in response to the global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Number two on the list was, “Work from home up to three days a week where possible.” The estimated impact of this would be, it noted, “One day a week saves around 170 kb/d; three days saves around 500 kb/d.”
Other measures included reducing speed limits on highways by at least 10 km/h, car-free Sundays in cities, making the use of public transport cheaper, increasing car sharing, avoiding business air travel, and encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles.
UK petrol and diesel prices are at a record high (£1.67 per litre on average at the pump for petrol), following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As we emerge from a winter of gas price rises, working from home is probably the last thing many of us are going to be thinking of. But the IEA’s report is a reminder that gas is the winter’s problem, tomorrow’s is oil. “As a result of Russia’s appalling aggression against Ukraine,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said, “the world may well be facing its biggest oil supply shock in decades, with huge implications for our economies and societies.”
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These rising oil prices will be a key issue as we emerge into spring and summer, affecting many aspects of cost of living. But, all together, the IEA has estimated, if their 10 measures are followed, countries could “quickly cut global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day, reducing the risk of a damaging supply crunch”.
It feels as if, just as we once were being told to stay at home because of Covid, we are now being told to do so because of an oil market crisis mixed with a climate crisis.
Is it an answer? It certainly could be part of one. And it beats, for instance, issuing new North Sea oil licences, a UK Government plan which has the disadvantage of potentially offering a long-term burden of emissions or investments in the search for a short-term solution. It also beats Boris Johnson’s other strategy of visiting Mohamed bin Zayed, the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, in a bid to persuade OPEC nations to increase oil production and tackle rising global fuel prices.
But what would more homeworking mean for us? Some, like myself, a long-term homeworker, dating back even before the pandemic, have enjoyed the benefits of being in when the kids get back from school, even if my eyes are on the screen, attention on the laptop. Whilst surveys generally suggest that most of us do want to continue some homeworking, there are others which show that it brought an intensification of loneliness into some people’s lives. What works for one person (and the planet) may not be the same as what works for others.
Homeworking, meanwhile, has its vocal opponents. Sir James Dyson, recently observed that it “kills essential learning and collaboration, stunts development of our people, prevents access to vital equipment and laboratories, and undermines the security of our intellectual property.” I relate to some of what Dyson says here.
I’ve noticed how many more breakthroughs are made during an in-person meeting, by comparison with online. But do we need face-to-face five days a week? And could some of us do well from having days dedicated to the focused work that can be done in the home? Cal Newport, writer of Deep Work, certainly advocates for the benefits of solitary work. It’s not an either/or, which is why businesses are continuing to schedule hybrid meetings, and my running buddy, Duncan Wallace, is designing training to help people deliver them effectively.
Of course, homeworking cannot be the future for everyone, or every industry. It’s also not going to be the answer if the gas crisis continues into winter next year – particularly if a summer goes by without a fast-tracked insulation and energy efficiency programme being rolled out in the UK. Homeworking isn’t ideal when the home heating bills are astronomical.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its fossil fuel politics have presented us with a new challenge – how to navigate a supply crisis alongside an energy transition. We must keep our eye on an important goal, the climate. The world needs to wean itself off fossil fuels. Not just Russian fossil fuels, but all of them. And, if that means a bit more staying at home it will be worth it.
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