Case Study: Assessing The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Potential for a More Climate-Friendly Work-Related Mobility

Dennis Wilke (), Henriette Rau () and Joachim W. Härtling
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Dennis Wilke: Institute of Geography, University of Osnabrück, Seminarstr. 19a/b, 49074 Osnabrück, Germany
Henriette Rau: Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahnstraße 16, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Joachim W. Härtling: Institute of Geography, University of Osnabrück, Seminarstr. 19a/b, 49074 Osnabrück, Germany

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: The switch from working in-office to working from home in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people’s mobility behavior. In view of the need for action arising from the ongoing challenge of climate change, these changes should be seen as an opportunity to reduce emissions in the traffic sector. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in work-related mobility that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic using the case of a multinational medium-sized retail chain situated in semi-rural Germany. The case study allowed us to examine those changes in connection with individual attitudes and perspectives of the company and its employees. Thus, we quantitatively recorded the mobility behavior of the company’s employees, followed by an expert interview to ascertain the company’s perspective. We found a reduction in the frequency of commuting and business trips made by employees, which seemed to continue beyond the COVID-19 crisis. However, according to our findings these changes were not based on individual motivation to act in a climate-aware manner but are subject to the framework conditions created by employers for the adoption of climate-friendly behavior. The results of this work could be used by companies and policymakers to create such favorable framework conditions.

Keywords: mobility; COVID-19; home office; commuting; business travel; case study; climate awareness; climate behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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