"20% Reduction in Carbon Emissions... 4-Day Workweek Also Impacts Environment" [Jjinbit]

[4-Day Workweek Era④]
Impact on Climate Including Reduced Public Transportation Use
"Environmental Impact Will Vary Depending on How Holidays Are Used"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The discussion on the four-day workweek, which was ignited by COVID-19, has expanded from an economic issue to an environmental one. This is interpreted as a result of ongoing research showing that changes in work environments can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, at a time when the world is pouring various efforts into achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 to combat climate change. 'The Era of the Four-Day Workweek'

Juliet Shore, a professor at Boston University in the U.S. and a senior researcher participating in the four-day workweek experiment led by the UK-based nonprofit organization ‘Four Day Week Global,’ stated on the 21st (local time) in The Heights, Boston University's student newspaper, that "introducing a four-day workweek can reduce carbon emissions by shortening the number of working days by one." She also revealed that in this experiment, participating companies were asked to measure information related to carbon emissions, employees' energy use, and commuting movements.

The environmental effects of the four-day workweek have been a subject of continuous research. In a 2012 paper, Professor Shore and others analyzed data from OECD member countries from 1970 to 2007 and found that a 10% reduction in working hours led to decreases of 12.1% in ecological footprint (the amount of nature required for human economic activities), 14.6% in carbon footprint (the total greenhouse gases directly and indirectly produced by an individual), and 4.2% in carbon emissions.

According to the daily newspaper The Guardian, a study released last year by the UK environmental group ‘Platform London’ and the nonprofit ‘Four Day Week Campaign’ analyzed that if the UK adopts a four-day workweek without wage reductions, carbon emissions could be reduced by more than 20%, or 127 million tons, by 2025. Microsoft (MS) Japan also reported that during its one-month trial of a four-day workweek in August 2019, electricity usage decreased by 23.1% and paper printing by 58.7%, resulting in cost savings.

The significant reduction in carbon emissions from adopting a four-day workweek is largely attributed to decreased energy use at workplaces and reduced commuting time, which lowers carbon emissions from transportation such as buses. Experts also note that as consumption increases, carbon emissions rise during the manufacturing process of products, but the four-day workweek can somewhat reduce consumption. Additionally, engaging in healthy activities like exercise can reduce medical interventions, which positively impacts carbon emission reductions.

The global environmental protection organization Greenpeace emphasized in May 2020, when discussions about the four-day workweek arose due to COVID-19, that this change in work patterns could reduce carbon emissions, but "the environmental impact will vary depending on how workers use their three-day weekends." Greenpeace pointed out that if frequent overseas trips by plane increase or if unemployment rises due to the four-day workweek, causing more workers to take additional jobs during their days off, the carbon emission reduction effect from extended holidays could diminish.

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is short for ‘Jeong Hyunjin’s Business Trend’ and ‘Real Business Trend,’ a corner that showcases trends in corporate management such as organizational culture and personnel systems. Based on analyses from foreign media and major overseas institutions that have not received much attention so far, we will deliver fresh and differentiated information and perspectives.