During the Corona pandemic, the IZT investigated how much CO2 emissions could be saved by increasing home office working in Germany. The most progressive IZT scenario came to the following conclusion: if 40 percent of employees worked permanently from home two days a week, CO2 emissions from transport could be reduced by 5.4 million tonnes per year.

In 2020, the "Corona Crisis" completely changed our social life from one day to the next. At the same time, the involuntary break with old, established routines opens up possibilities that could last beyond the pandemic. The world of work has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The sudden shift to the home office has given a significant boost to the digital penetration of our society. In addition to one or two weak points in the expansion of digital infrastructures, the opportunities of digital and mobile work became particularly clear during the crisis: less commuter traffic, fewer pollutant emissions and free, low-noise streets characterised the image of cities during the height of the pandemic and gave room for reflection. Especially in view of the virulent climate crisis and the increasing conflict over space, especially in the city, the question must be asked in the future to what extent work can be done from the desk at home and whether the daily commute to the workplace makes sense for everyone? Can't our society learn from the ways of working experienced in the crisis and reduce commuting in the future? On behalf of Greenpeace Germany, the IZT is investigating how much emissions can be saved by home office in Germany. Based on the 2017 data set "Mobility in Germany" from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, the status quo of the home office in Germany was examined and estimates were made for the future development of teleworking in Germany based on current Corona studies (as of June 2020). In the end, it was shown that home office can be a building block for achieving the climate goals in the transport sector. Home office can relieve traffic congestion and contribute to the reduction of transport-related emissions. However, considering rebound effects and the social dimension of teleworking, it can only be part of the solution. The goal must always be to reconcile the ecological opportunities with the social requirements. With the help of a well-designed regulatory framework, fair working conditions, combined with measures such as the promotion of renewable energies, home office can be an important part of a sustainable mobility transition.