Photo by Li-An Lim on UnsplashThis is the first time we have faced the fact that natural resources are running out with the pandemic so clearly. As observed in the first closure period, nature is ready to renew itself at any time and the working patterns that come with the pandemic also support this.

As the Green Future Index, supported by Citrix, reveals, new working models not only provide comfort but also make a meaningful contribution to the fight against climate change.

Climate change is today’s most critical issue for many people. According to a special report published by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in order for global warming to be limited to 1.5 ° C above pre-industrial levels, people must reduce their carbon dioxide production significantly. This 1.5 ° C increase is an increase that can make the changes in the world more manageable. While work in this direction is moving unevenly, with initiatives such as the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, countries need to do more.

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Published by MIT Technology Review Insights and sponsored by Citrix, the Green Future Index ranks 76 leading countries and regions according to their progress and commitment to building a low carbon future. The five categories considered in building a low carbon future include carbon emissions, energy transition, green society, clean innovation and climate policy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many things, one of the most important of which is the transition to the remote working model. It is not easy to deny the environmental benefits of the transition to flexible working models, as demonstrated by the remarkable improvements in air quality worldwide since March 2020. According to Global Workplace Analytics, the amount of energy consumed by the equipment used while working in the office can be up to twice the amount of energy consumed by the equipment used while working at home. Traffic in the USA causes about 11 trillion liters of gasoline to be wasted and an additional 26 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

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According to Citrix, technology platforms that allow flexible working models can reduce these environmental costs. By creating a truly functioning anywhere work experience, companies can both empower themselves and help strengthen climate resilience. The future of work and the future of the world are inextricably linked. Fieldwork by Citrix has worked to understand these trends and find out what clues the Green Future Index contains for the near and medium term. The amount of energy consumed by the equipment used while working in the office can be twice the amount of energy consumed by the equipment used while working at home.

People want to work in companies that care about sustainability

Flexible operation means fewer commutes, resulting in lower carbon emissions, more efficient use of computing power, and other benefits in the field of energy savings. The pandemic has accelerated the implementation of flexible working models, and senior executives agree on this. According to Gartner, 82 percent of leaders plan to allow employees to work remotely from time to time. Also, according to a study, 70 percent of people are more likely to work in a company that prioritizes sustainability. It is clear that what is beneficial for the world can also be beneficial for the recruitment and profitability of organizations.

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“Green leader of the pandemic” Germany

European countries holding 15 of the top 20 ranks are leaders in the Green Future Index. While reducing emissions was an important issue before the pandemic, it became even more important during curfews. The European Union has made a commitment of more than 200 billion Euros for green economy investments. Germany, regarded as the “green leader of the pandemic” by the authors of the index, has spent more than a third of its economic revival incentives on climate recovery efforts. These initiatives in the field of carbon reduction will be the cornerstones of the EU’s strategy to make Europe the world’s first carbon neutral continent.

Denmark will not issue new oil and gas exploration licenses!

Iceland, Denmark and Norway, which are located in another region of Europe and hold the first, second and third places respectively, have made progress on climate in different ways. While Iceland relied on abundant geothermal and hydroelectric resources to meet its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2040, Denmark, Europe’s largest hydrocarbon producer, pledged not to issue new oil and gas exploration licenses in late 2020. Meanwhile, Norway plans to use various methods and technologies to separate its economy from the fossil fuel sector.

US economy remains committed to fossil fuels

Going further from Europe, Costa Rica (7th) and New Zealand (8th) show how smaller countries can set world-leading decarbonisation agendas. While the Central American country aims to generate electricity from fully renewable sources by 2021, the South Pacific island country stands out with a bold and transformational climate policy by enacting a law to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Although some of the countries with the most carbon emissions are behind European countries, they are making progress. The United States ranks 40th, but has reduced its emissions in recent years and is home to about a fifth of the green patents awarded in the world. However, the US economy remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels. On the other hand, India, ranked 21st and adopting renewable energy, has the world’s largest vegetarian population, while remaining the world’s largest producer of dairy products and the third largest contributor to carbon emissions.

It is possible to make progress!

The Green Future Index shows how economies can benefit from future-thinking climate agendas. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. The United Arab Emirates (42nd) and Nigeria (53rd) are the third and fifth largest crude oil exporters, while Indonesia (57th), Vietnam (49th) and South Africa (47th) are the largest coal exporters. Decarbonization poses an existential threat to the economic situation of these countries. But unless a steady effort is made to move to renewable and alternative sources not only for energy but also for income, these and other lower-ranked countries risk falling behind. While economists put too much emphasis on the difficulty of maintaining a sustainable model, optimists point out the positive point: Those who realize that environmental sustainability and business sustainability are inseparable and take action in this direction will gain a very serious advantage.