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 coronavirus crisis completely changed our social lives from one day to the next. The involuntary break with old, established routines also opens up opportunities that could last beyond the pandemic. The world of work has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The sudden switch to working from home has given a significant boost to the digital penetration of our society. In addition to one or two weaknesses in the expansion of digital infrastructures, the opportunities offered by digital and mobile working became particularly clear during the crisis: less commuter traffic, fewer pollutant emissions and clear, low-noise roads characterised the image of cities during the peak phase of the pandemic and provided food for thought. Particularly 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 home and whether the daily commute to work makes sense for everyone? Can our society not learn from the working methods experienced during the crisis and reduce commuting in the future? On behalf of Greenpeace Germany, the IZT is analysing how many emissions can be saved by working from home in Germany. Based on the "Mobility in Germany" 2017 data set from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, the status quo of working from home in Germany was analysed and estimates were made on the future development of teleworking in Germany based on current coronavirus studies (as of June 2020). In the end, it was shown that working from home can be a building block for achieving climate targets in the transport sector. Working from home can reduce the volume of traffic and contribute to a reduction in transport-related emissions. In view of rebound effects and the social dimension of teleworking, however, it can only be part of the solution. The aim must always be to harmonise 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, working from home can be an important part of a sustainable mobility transition.