「在宅勤務がエネルギー危機の解決策になる」──こんな提言を、世界のエネルギー事情を監視する国際エネルギー機関（IEA）が出したんです。The Vergeが報じています。

IEAは1970年代のオイルショックをきっかけに設立された機関。その組織が今のイラン情勢を背景にしたエネルギー不足の対策として、リモートワークの推進を各国政府と企業に呼びかけているんです。

Hey everyone! Did you know that "work from home" is getting a lot of attention again? We all experienced it during the pandemic, right? I honestly didn't think we'd be going back to it, but it looks like this time it's for a totally different reason!

According to The Verge, the International Energy Agency (IEA), which monitors global energy situations, is urging governments and companies to "promote working from home!" This is actually pretty big news, don't you think?

数字で見る通勤のエネルギー消費

IEAのレポートによると、先進国でのリモートワーク普及率が20%上がるだけで、石油消費量が日量約50万バレル削減できるという試算があるとのこと。車通勤の減少が一番インパクト大きいですが、電車・バスも含めると相当な量になるんです。

逆に「在宅だと家の冷暖房を一日中つけるから、かえって増えるのでは」という指摘もあって、IEAもその点は認めながら「トータルでは削減になる」という立場です。

日本への示唆

「コロナが終わったから出社に戻ろう」という流れが日本では続いていますが、エネルギーコストの観点からリモート推進を再考する動きが海外では出てきているんです。「働き方改革」の文脈とは全然違う角度からのリモートワーク論、面白い視点だと思いました。

Energy Crisis Savior?

Commuting uses up so much energy, doesn't it? Cars, trains, buses... they all run on gas or electricity! Reading the original article from The Verge, it really feels like the IEA is targeting exactly that. The simple idea is that if everyone works from home, it'll significantly reduce energy consumption from commuting. For example, someone who used to drive to work every day can now just tap away on their computer at home. That saves on gas money, and also drastically cuts down on fuel consumption for the whole country. Oh wow, that actually makes so much sense!

Office buildings also consume a lot of electricity for heating, cooling, and lighting. If more people work from home, office utilization goes down, and that energy consumption can be reduced too. This isn't just about saving individual electricity and gas bills; it's about stabilizing the energy supply at a national level. I had no idea it was such a big deal!

After the pandemic settled down, many companies were calling everyone back to the office, so I never expected this "work from home push" from the IEA! (Haha!) But looking at the current international situation, the energy problem is really serious. Crude oil prices are skyrocketing... my snack budget is screaming too! (sweatdrop emoji)

Of course, I know not all jobs can be done remotely, like factory workers or people in service industries. But it seems the IEA's aim is to reduce energy consumption as much as possible by incorporating remote work wherever it's feasible. If this really happens, gadgets for home office setups might sell like hotcakes again! Webcams, high-performance headsets, and comfy office chairs! I'm actually thinking about getting a gaming chair because I hear they're good for your back. Hehe, maybe it's time for some affiliate marketing again? (sweatdrop emoji)

Anyway, it means our way of working might change again. This whole energy issue really made me realize that it's not some distant country's problem, but something that directly impacts our daily lives!