Is hybrid work more sustainable?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations had to quickly transition their employees to remote work as offices shut down almost overnight. After the pandemic, many organizations adopted a hybrid work policy, a mix of in-office and remote work. There are a lot of benefits when it comes to hybrid work; it can enhance work flexibility and productivity, save commuting time, and improve the mental health and well-being of employees. However, there are some drawbacks to it. Some research suggests that it also leads to feelings of loneliness among employees, and managers can have difficulty sensing their employees virtually. There have been a lot of discussions about how to improve the social dimension of sustainability, but there is very little known about the overall environmental impact of hybrid work. That is what I am trying to assess within my research project. To understand how hybrid work impacts the climate, and at the same time, how it impacts the organization and its way of emission reporting (i.e., ESG metrics).

My PhD is very much connected with the environmental and governance pillars of sustainability. The project will help to understand if this new way of working is beneficial or harmful for the environment, and how organizations can mitigate or support these effects by implementing new strategies.

I grew up in Munich, Germany, and finished high school when I was 18. Afterwards, I didn't know what I would like to study and where. So I decided to take a gap year and work and travel at the same time. I realised I had to sign up for university before returning to Germany. Since I didn't feel ready to move far away, I decided to study at TUM, the technical university in Munich. I also didn't know what I wanted to study, so I went through the list to see what I liked. My eye got caught on environmental engineering because I already cared about the environment back then, and I thought I might start with that and see how I like it. Then it turned out to be my topic; I especially enjoyed the transport and sustainable cities lectures. After two years, I decided to do an Erasmus and went to DTU (Denmark) for one year to study abroad. Then I had to return to finish my bachelor's, but since I liked DTU and Copenhagen, I decided to do my master's at DTU. I decided to go with the transport and logistics study line, because I wanted to foster my knowledge in transport sciences. After my graduation, again I didn't know what I should do, so I went to travel again for 3 months. When I returned to my Copenhagen flat, I had to decide. Do I want to stay in Denmark and find a corporate job? Should I return to Germany and try to find a job within the transportation sector in a municipality or ministry (which wasn't an option in Denmark because I am not fluent in Danish)? But then I came across a PhD position about transportation, the impact of hybrid work on people's behavior, and how it affects sustainability. I decided to apply for it because I knew it would be my chance to stay in Copenhagen and work with something I am passionate about.