Is energy and oil conservation a good reason for alternative work models?
The conflict in the Middle East is prompting calls for alternative work arrangements in the Philippines to reduce fuel consumption and cushion the impact of rising oil prices.
Lawmakers in the country are urging both the government and the private sector to implement a four‑day work week or expand flexible work arrangements to ease the burden on commuters and businesses.
It comes as oil and gas prices spike, with Iran continuing to launch strikes across the Middle East amid ongoing attacks by the US and Israel, according to a BBC report.
Philippine Senator Joel Villanueva, principal author of the country's work‑from‑home law, said businesses and the government should fully utilise the mechanisms under the law in light of mounting fuel costs.
"The work‑from‑home law is not just a benefit for employees. This is also a practical step to reduce the consumption of gasoline and diesel especially as we expect prices to surge due to the conflict in the Middle East," Villanueva said in a statement in Filipino.
WFH's impact on fuel demand
The COVID‑19 pandemic offered a real‑world test of these suggestions. When lockdowns and health restrictions forced millions of employees to work from home, road traffic volumes and demand for gasoline and diesel dropped sharply in many countries.
Analysts point out that while economic slowdowns and travel bans played a role, the abrupt shift to remote work was a key reason millions of daily commutes simply vanished almost overnight.
Subsequent research has tried to quantify that effect. A 2024 study in the journal Nature Cities looking at US data from 2020 onwards found that relatively modest increases in remote work produced disproportionately large reductions in vehicle miles travelled, as many car journeys to and from offices disappeared.
The authors estimate that a 10% decline in the share of employees working on‑site, compared with pre‑pandemic levels, could translate into roughly a 10% cut in transport‑sector emissions because of fewer commuter trips.
Energy agencies have reached similar conclusions at a global scale.
In its 2022 "10‑Point Plan to Cut Oil Use," the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted that, before the pandemic, car commuting in advanced economies alone accounted for around 2.7 million barrels of oil per day.
The IEA calculated that even one additional work‑from‑home day per week across suitable roles could avoid about 170,000 barrels per day of oil use in the short term.
"Three days of working from home avoids around 500 kb/d in the short term," it stated.
European modelling has reinforced the pattern. Analysis by the Carbon Trust across several major economies suggests that hybrid working arrangements—where employees split their time between home and the office—can deliver substantial emissions cuts by reducing car travel and the energy used in office buildings.
In Germany, one scenario found that widespread homeworking could save millions of tonnes of CO₂ annually, with much of that coming from lower fuel consumption as people commute less.
Conserving energy by WFH
On the business side, international experience also suggests that alternative work arrangements can help in conserving energy.
While most experiments with shorter work weeks and flexible arrangements have been framed around productivity and employee wellbeing, many have also delivered tangible energy savings in offices and on the roads.
In 2019, Microsoft Japan's four‑day workweek trial saw productivity jump by about 40% compared to the previous year, The Guardian reported. Company documents from that pilot also reported marked reductions in office electricity consumption and paper use when offices were closed for an extra day each week.
Corporate pilots compiled by advocacy groups such as 4 Day Week Global and UK‑based think tank Autonomy tell a similar story. Organisations that shut their offices for an extra day or move more aggressively into hybrid work often report smaller carbon footprints.
Currently, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may consider the suggestions of alternative work arrangements, according to Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro, especially if tensions in the Middle East worsen and energy prices continue to climb.
