Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...

Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 2
increased home energy use; one study suggests that this may represent 11 to 25 percent of
the travel energy savings (Handy and Mokhtarian, 1995).
Considering daily “rebound” travel but not considering broader relocation effects, VMT
and emission reductions in 2008 attributable to current levels of teleworking by employed
workers are estimated to be approximately 28.9 billion VMT and 10 to 13 mmt CO2e. 34
Telework has the potential to grow further and therefore generate additional GHG
reductions. An examination of national survey data as well as surveys in Phoenix,
Arizona and metropolitan Washington, D.C. suggests that telework has the potential to
approximately double compared to current levels. 35 If this were the case, the potential
GHG benefits from additional teleworking would be about 10 to 13 mmt CO2e in 2030.
While the growth of telework has primarily been the result a result of private sector
initiative, a few public sector programs seem to have had some effect on encouraging
private sector telecommuting adoption. One recent study in metropolitan Washington,
D.C. estimated that telework in the region reduced CO2 emissions by about 0.5 mmt in
2008, of which about 10 percent could be directly attributed to the Maryland and Virginia
Telework program (MWCOG, 2009).
Cost-Effectiveness
The cost of teleworking to employers and employees typically is not negligible.
Employers must determine which employees are eligible to telework; provide additional
training and technical support for teleworking employees and their managers; provide or
share the cost of purchasing computer equipment, communications equipment, and
software for teleworking employees; and, in some cases, set up telecenters, or satellite
offices for teleworkers’ use (U.S. EPA, 1992). According to a recent Federal study that
surveyed 18 agencies, the total annual cost of teleworking ranges from $310 to $5,420 per
34 This estimate assumes a telecommuting rate of between 12 and 15 percent of employed workers,
an average frequency of 1.5 days per week (Cambridge Systematics, 2007; MWCOG, 2008), an
average round-trip length of 25 miles, a 75 percent prior SOV mode share, a 25 percent rebound
effect, and an employed workforce of 134 million (2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics data).
35 A 2006 study in Phoenix found that 31 percent of employers currently offer telework options to
their employees; among the remaining 69 percent who do not, 37 percent would consider
implementing a telework program in the future (WestGroup, 2006). Optimistically assuming that
all employers who might consider doing so would actually do so, this would represent an increase
from current teleworking levels of 120 percent. The metropolitan Washington State of the
Commute survey found that 37 percent of employed nonteleworking respondents said that it
would be possible for them to telework at least occasionally; over three-quarters said they would
be interested in doing so. These interested respondents represent about 24 percent of all
commuters (MWCOG, 2008). Similar to the Phoenix results, this represents a 126 percent increase
in teleworking compared to current levels. The WorldatWork survey found that 38 percent of
nonteleworkers claimed that at least part of their job could be done from home, and 50 percent
rated a high interest in doing so, for a net of 19 percent of nonteleworkers or 16 percent of all
employed commuters—slightly less than a doubling.
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