G-Dub Green Hub

With the climate crisis more pressing than ever, Bill Gates discussed his new book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster at a virtual webinar on February 17. CBS Correspondent Michelle Miller moderated the webinar, and attendees came from 4 D.C. based schools: The George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University and Howard University. One of the richest people in the world, Gates discussed his unique journey on how he became involved in the fight against climate change. Here are our main takeaways:

1. Innovations are key to reducing carbon emissions

At the event, GW Presidential Fellow Renea Williams got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ask Gates what he believes are the most promising solutions that already exist to help combat climate change. While facing the challenge of avoiding a climate crisis can be daunting, Gates is optimistic because of his belief in innovation. From an early age, he’s always been obsessed with computers. Gates recalled when having a computer on every desk was a wild idea and now years later that idea is tame.  

“My basic optimism about climate change comes from my belief in innovation. It’s our power to invent that makes me hopeful,” Gates said. 

He emphasized that there needs to be investment in innovation that will have a lasting impact. Planting a tree is a positive investment, but it doesn’t compare to other gold standard offsets such as carbon capture models that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and sequester it for hundreds of thousands of years. The investment in innovations that have long term impacts are vital for a zero carbon emissions world.

2. Climate solutions must be rooted in environmental equity

In the discussion, Gates emphasized how climate solutions must take an equitable approach, grounded in the knowledge that climate change impacts poorer communities around the world in more devastating ways. 

Climate mitigation strategies must “be intentional about the equity element of these efforts,” said Gates. “We've got to design that in from, from the very start.” 

There should also be greater responsibility to reduce emissions for wealthier countries, who have historically contributed far more emissions than developing countries have. Gates highlighted the unfairness of the climate crisis, as poorer countries do not have as much technology and resources to build strong climate adaptation strategies. Ironically, these emissions were not even their fault to begin with, yet they are still paying the greatest price.

3. There needs to be a plan for climate change

Gates acknowledges that the young generation has taken a lead in accelerating the green movement. Across the globe, children have stepped out onto the global stage and demanding leaders commit to eliminating carbon emissions. While Gates praises the commitment of the younger generation, he also points out that there needs to be a plan. 

“A plan that really admits that it's going to be very difficult. That looks at all the sources of emissions and taps into human ingenuity, taps into the private sector and government policy,” said Gates. 

To effectively create a net zero emissions world by 2050, there needs to be a plan that details how to achieve that. The movement can garner all the momentum and support in the world, but without a plan it’s aimless. GW appears to be on the right track by committing to divest from fossil fuels by 2025, but the commitment can only be fulfilled with a clear and well-followed plan to do so. 

4. When communicating climate change, focus less on the doom-and-gloom, and more on what’s worth saving

Regarding how to effectively communicate climate change, Gates recommended for young people to really tailor their message to who they’re speaking to. Many people have heard about the daunting consequences of climate change, but hearing these warnings often does not energize them to take action and only induces their anxieties more. Gates suggested that a more innovative approach could be to focus on the natural beauty of the planet and what’s worth saving. Fostering an appreciation for the planet helps drive others towards a call to action and fosters a deeper connection between the individual and the greater climate movement. In Gates’ opinion, one of the most effective examples of this storytelling approach is David Attenborough’s environmental documentary, A Life On Our Planet.

“You know we owe it in a moral way to not get rid of those beautiful natural ecosystems,” said Gates in reflection to the film.

If Bill Gates supports solutions-driven climate communication, then GW’s very own Planet Forward seems to be on the right track. Planet Forward is an environmental news site housed at GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs for students around the country to publish inspiring environmental stories. Over the years, SustainableGW and Planet Forward have fostered a tight relationship to train students on how to powerfully and effectively communicate the urgency of the climate crisis.

By Francesca Edralin

While the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are two scientific crises raising political controversy, the two issues possess another interesting intersection: Could the global response to COVID-19 offer a long-term solution to combat the climate crisis?

Over recent months, stay-at-home orders have led to a temporary plunge in greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, as much of the population stayed home more and traveled less. However, as governments gradually lift social distancing orders, more and more people are leaving their homes and transitioning back to old routines.

Yet, some aspects of the quarantine routine have the potential to translate into long-term lifestyle changes. In particular, teleworking offers a multitude of environmental benefits if continued after the quarantine period. Recent research shows that increased teleworking in communities reduces air pollution and traffic congestion.

In 2018, civil engineer and transportation systems analyst at the University of Illinois-Chicago Ramin Shabanpour published a study on the impacts of teleworking on local air pollution. In his study, Shabanpour identified the current populations in Chicago capable of telework. Then, he calculated what percentage of those populations participated in telework at the time. He found that only 12% of individuals who are capable of telework worked from home to some extent. Using 12% as the base, Shabanpour and his team developed a simulation that modeled a hypothetical “twin city” of Chicago.

“We spent a few years here in Chicago developing a transportation simulation platform which, in a nutshell, is a simulation-based twin city. Using a software known as the POLARIS model, we were able to simulate what we have in the real world,” he said.

Shabanpour and his team kept all data points constant in the simulation, except for the percentage of the population who worked from home which they increased from 12% to 50%. The simulation did not manipulate the frequency that Chicago residents worked from home, only increasing the percentage of teleworkers at the current frequency.

The results proved to Shabanpour and his team how beneficial teleworking can be for the environment.

“We found that we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.7% because of an increase in telecommuting. When you talk about impact, this is actually a huge number because if you multiply 0.7% with current greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago, we find that an implementation like this can reduce 500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per day,” Shabanpour said.

Capable teleworkers do not need to solely work from home to produce these emission reductions. Shabanpour acknowledges that most teleworkers only work from home a few days per week, and they likely still drive when they telework in order to run errands. The simulation’s results account for the driving needs of teleworkers, because Shabanpour kept the frequency that teleworkers drive to work and run errands in real life constant.

Shabanpour’s study was one of the first to analyze teleworking’s impacts on air pollution and the environment. While he only examines telework patterns in the Chicago metropolitan area, his findings can apply to any area that suffers from air pollution and has a section of the population that is capable of telework.

As a result, Shabanpour has emerged as an advocate for telework. He believes that current efforts to reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions invest in the wrong solutions, instead of cost-efficient solutions like telework programs.

“We just invest billions and billions of funding into building new bridges and infrastructure – let’s start looking at this soft side of transportation. Focusing on these numbers, we can definitely reduce the transportation emissions and congestion that we have at a very low cost, compared to the big infrastructure projects that we have,” Shabanpour said.

As the quarantine period forced many companies to temporarily transition their workforce online, the potential for companies to commit to a long-term telework system makes Shabanpour’s research more relevant now than ever.

In the past, companies have hesitated to allow teleworking. Timothy Golden, a professor and telework researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, finds that companies assume teleworking would decrease employer satisfaction and productivity.

“Because you’re working away from the office, particularly if the rest of the office is still there, that has the potential to make you feel cut off or separated from people,” Golden said.

Golden asserts that hybrid teleworking programs, which allow employees to split their hours between working from home and in the office, alleviate employees’ concerns of feeling isolated from the workplace. He also recommends that managers assess which employees are capable of telework, meaning they can productively complete their tasks at home.

“It’s not an all-or-nothing scenario. It’s not a one-size-fits-all,” Golden said.

Companies who supported teleworking before the pandemic prove that implementing a telework system increases productivity and company savings, in addition to reducing carbon footprints.

Dell, headquartered in Austin, Texas, is one company leading the global movement toward hybrid teleworking programs. Since implementing its “Connected Workplace” program, Dell allows employees to design a work-from-home schedule tailored to their preferences. Dell cuts 136 million travel miles and more than 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually through this program, as calculated in their most recent sustainability report.

John Pflueger, the principal environmental strategist at Dell who designed the Connected Workplace program, told Environment+Energy Leader, “We’re pleased with the flexibility it offers our employees and the positive consequences it has on carbon emissions.”

If the environmental impacts do not incentivize companies, perhaps the benefits in finances and productivity will. Dell’s recent sustainability report highlights that it saved $39.5 million from the Connected Workplace program, which allows the company to reduce the amount of office space they pay for and maintain. Dell also hires from a greater applicant pool, with the ability to hire top talent beyond the region of Austin.

“When a company is considering a work-from-home program or telecommuting or remote work, sustainability is probably not the primary reason why. The primary reasons are issues related more to work-life balance and being the sort of employer that the 21st-century employee has come to expect, but we found sustainability-related benefits are an important side effect,” Pflueger said.

Golden is hopeful that this quarantine period will help companies and employees realize the various benefits to teleworking.

“I think this is a defining moment for telework in that it is likely to be much more commonplace after this pandemic. Now that it’s forced on so many people, it’s changing mindsets because teleworking is no longer something that ‘other people do’, it is something that everyone does,” Golden said.

Shabanpour demonstrated the environmental benefits of teleworking scientifically, while companies such as Dell show how teleworking programs foster a more sustainable and cost-efficient workplace. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic showed many companies already have the means for telework, although they may not have taken advantage of it previously.

Perhaps what helps to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases now just may help flatten the curve of greenhouse gas emissions as well.

Message from Sustainable GW