How hybrid working can support UK firms’ net-zero ambitions

Long gone are the days when most employees were constrained to their workplaces five days a week. With the pandemic bringing about a new normal for vast numbers of people, many major trends that existed already are accelerating.

Staff are increasingly shifting to so-called hybrid working – their time split between the office and working remotely – rather than returning full-time to the office, resulting in a major shakeup in how millions of people live and work.

Recent research from the Capita Institute illustrates the new significance of hybrid working, with the transition towards this new way of working being the most popular environmental, social and/or governance (ESG) initiative launched by organisations. More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of organisations now have such a programme in place.

The widespread impacts of Covid-19 on working practices are still being felt across the globe. More than half (56 per cent) of the 76 per cent of businesses that have launched hybrid working initiatives have done so in response to the pandemic – in contrast to the 20 per cent that already had this practice in place before the pandemic.

Urgent responsibility

The shift that businesses are making to hybrid working isn’t only popular with employers and employees; this change will also contribute to organisations’ drive towards meeting carbon emission targets.

Like with any disruption, as businesses begin to recover, they have an opportunity to challenge the status quo of how they’ve always worked – and that includes the potential to double-down on their ambitions. At a time when pressure is mounting on enterprises to address climate change, the shift to new forms of working is playing a central role to achieve net zero.

Companies such as Capita are dedicated to making serious progress on reducing their environmental impact, as well as supporting their clients and supply chains to achieve gains towards science-based carbon reduction targets.

Climate change is a vital challenge that both businesses and society need to address to significantly reduce emissions and lessen the associated damaging consequences of global warming. Throughout this year, the Capita Institute is undertaking a study, called the Great Opportunity Debate, of more than 350 senior decision-makers across three key sectors of government, financial services and critical infrastructure.

The aim of the research is to understand more comprehensively how individuals, organisations and industries have been affected by the pandemic and how they are adapting in these complex times. Leading companies like Capita are dedicated to making serious progress on reducing their environmental impact, as well as supporting their clients to achieve gains towards science-based carbon reduction targets.

At a time when pressure is mounting on enterprises to address climate change, the shift to new forms of working is playing a central role to achieve net zero. One of the key ways Capita is seeking to make their own contribution to combating climate change is the adoption of targets that are verified by the Science Based Targets initiative, including setting up an ambitious road map to take it to net zero by 2035. A major reduction in business travel is one of the central elements of its plan to reach operational net zero by 2025; operational and business travel net zero by 2030; and full net zero by 2035, including its supply chain.

By 2030, Capita is on track to reduce business travel emissions by 75 per cent (from 2019’s baseline). Research from the Capita Institute also found that this was the most common step organisations are taking to achieve net zero, with 54 per cent saying they are finding ways to reduce travel for their business.

As part of this, the “virtual first” approach for all focused work and routine meetings at Capita more effectively matches employees’ work to their location, keeping offices as places increasingly to come together and collaborate – both within teams and with clients and partners. Many enterprises are focused on reducing their workplace or office footprint to achieve net zero: Capita Institute research found that 48 per cent of firms are working to do this.

With Capita having more than 55,000 employees across the world, it is committed to working to make a real difference in the fight against climate change. With just 6 per cent of senior decision-makers telling the Capita Institute they have no intention of launching any shift to hybrid working as part of their ESG strategy, it’s increasingly clear that hybrid working is well on the way to becoming the new normal.

Tech for good

Capita is a consulting, transformation and digital services business. Every day 55,000 colleagues help millions of people, by delivering innovative solutions to transform and simplify the connections between government and citizens, businesses and customers.

Capita has partnered with Telegraph Media Group to help tell the story of how it works with its clients to provide the insight and cutting-edge technologies that give time back, allowing them to focus on what they do best, and making people’s lives easier and simpler.

For more information, visit capita.com