Carbon footprint and digital learning: revisiting impact post-COVID

Two years ago I wrote an article on the impact that digital learning can have on organisational carbon footprint .

That piece was based primarily on a hypothetical scenario of converting a 2-day, face-to-face course, to an 80% online course, detailed in a white paper by Epic Performance Improvement .

Needless to say, a lot has changed since then. No longer a hypothetical exercise, many organisations were forced to move learning and training activities online, virtually overnight. And with COP26 happening in my back garden it seems like the perfect time to revisit this topic.

Motivators for choosing sustainability in business operations

My previous article focused on consumer power over the market and changing attitudes and expectations toward corporate sustainability efforts as an additional motivator for considering the impact that digital learning could have on business results. At the time, I didn't even factor in the generational purchasing power and preferences of Gen Z, who overwhelmingly choose more sustainable brands .

My first hot take on this issue was also long before the Big Quit/Great Resignation. Most organisations (unless they pay obscene amounts of money), now find themselves working harder than ever to woo workers, who have used the pandemic as an opportunity to change careers, demand additional perks, or be more discerning of corporate values when deciding where to work.

In the case of 2016 and 2019 surveys, a majority of workers expressed their preference to work for more sustainable or socially responsible organisations .

Nearly 40% [of millenials workers] said that they’ve chosen a job in the past because the company performed better on sustainability than the alternative.

New research on changing carbon footprint during COVID

Now onto the new opportunities in research. Since the start of lockdowns, researchers have actually been able to calculate the change in carbon footprint based on the benchmarks in prior learning activities.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find research based on corporate learning and training activities, which is of greater interest to many of us in L&D, but understandable. Learning and development is just one of many business areas that were forced online simultaneously and few companies have likely had the time or resources to narrowly consider how lockdown has impacted carbon footprint within individual departments.

What I was able to find was research on changes in carbon footprint within higher education pre and during COVID. Changes here seem much easier to measure since learning is the main purpose and function of such organisations, not to mention that higher ed institutions come with built-in researchers. And though one cannot make a one-to-one comparison of corporate L&D to higher education activities, I do think it's worth considering this research should companies wish to assess the potential carbon impact of moving their development and training activities to be primarily digital.

One such study that appears to be very well-done (I'm no professional academic, but I did alright during my MBA), assessed the changing carbon footprint of Bournemouth University, here in the UK.

The study measured all the carbon output activities and resources associated with maintaining campus facilities as well as commutes in 2018 and 2019 and compared them to activities associated with online, remote learning in 2020, including the carbon impact of studying from home. The results of which can be seen in the table below:

The study concludes that the reduction in carbon footprint for this particular university was about 29% from pre-lockdown levels. That is far lower than the 65% estimate from the Epic white paper I've referenced before, but, again, that research was based on a hypothetical and presumed that much of the carbon output of face-to-face training was printed materials.

As someone who received a masters in 2019, my textbooks and materials were all delivered digitally, with only the necessary items being printed by students at their discretion (whether this is the trend at all universities, I can't say). What is significant is that the research from both points generally toward reduction in carbon output when learning happens online or remotely as opposed to face-to-face delivery.

Of course, research is ongoing as to whether long-term remote working has a significant decrease in organisational carbon footprint, but I do find it reasonable to say that reduction in carbon output is one of the many benefits of digital learning.

If this topic interests you, or your organisation has an urgent digital learning need, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or my colleagues at Junction-18!