Working remotely, state workers drive 1 million fewer miles each week

Maine state employees drove 1.1 million fewer miles and took 17,877 fewer trips every week between April and November by working remotely during the pandemic, recent state surveys have found. Working from home kept 233,103 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air every week, according to preliminary estimates, reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 7 million pounds over the 30-week period. The calculations are preliminary, but they are thought to be the first specific metrics in Maine that capture the impact of telework on climate change.