Spacent team · Aug 15th 2025
Case Study: Why commuting matters – and how workspace strategy influences sustainability
Client: International software company
Employees: 870
Period covered: 12 months
Case study focus: Saved commuting time, distance, and CO2 emmissions
Office decisions are no longer just about square meters — they’re part of your ESG strategy. As organizations face growing pressure to reduce emissions and report on sustainability, how and where work happens is becoming a strategic issue.
Hybrid work is here to stay, but many companies haven’t fully grasped the environmental implications. The commute, long treated as a logistical burden or personal inconvenience, is one of the most overlooked contributors to a company’s carbon footprint. The average European employee commutes 48 kilometers per day, generating around 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions annually (International Energy Agency).
Giving employees access to flexible workspaces closer to home significantly reduces travel distances and time spent commuting. These changes not only cut CO₂ emissions but also improve employee well-being and time efficiency. Flexible workspaces are more than convenience; it’s measurable environmental impact.
Spacent collaborated with a global software company to analyze the real-world impact of distributed workspace use over a 12-month period. The case study is based on real reservation data from Spacent locations, combined with user-reported or inferred home locations and commuting methods. The results clearly show the connection between workspace flexibility and reduced environmental burden.
How much can actually be saved in time and emissions?
Download the report to explore the key takeaways from this long-term analysis.
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