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The 21st June marks Flexible Working Day, a celebration of working practices that benefit employees, employers, and our environment; that being our working, living and ecological environment.

As a proud sponsor of this year’s Flexible Working Day, we’re highlighting how flexible working doesn’t just support individual wellbeing and inclusion, but also contributes to a low-carbon future. With a mostly freelance and flexibly working team, we’re proof that flexibility can be embedded into the heart of an organisation’s culture without compromising on impact.

What does flexible working look like?

Flexible working takes many forms, including:

• Remote working – working from home or anywhere with a connection
• Hybrid working – a mix of remote and in-person work
• Flexible hours – adjusting start and finish times
• Compressed hours – working full-time hours across fewer days
• Reduced hours – part-time roles or four-day work weeks
• Career breaks – extended leave for personal or professional reasons
• Mealtime flex – the freedom to take breaks when needed

At The Carbon Literacy Project, flexibility is embedded in our ways of working. It enables us to build a diverse, highly skilled team from across the UK—and beyond—who can contribute meaningfully while working in a way that suits their lives.

92% of our team polled reported making use of flexible hours, remote working, and mealtime flex. 62% work reduced hours, 31% compress their hours, and the same percentage has taken some form of career break.

The carbon savings of flexible working

Flexible working isn’t just good for people; it’s also good for the planet.

• Reduced commuting – fewer journeys often mean lower carbon emissions*.
• Less need for office space – cutting the energy demands of buildings.
• More sustainable travel – flexible schedules make ‘slow’ travel by train or bus more feasible than short-haul flights.
• Digital collaboration – virtual meetings reduce the need for carbon-intensive travel.
• Empowering carbon-conscious lifestyles – flexible working can support people to live lower-carbon lives. For example, by giving people more time to grow food or meal prep, which can help cut food waste.

*Note, this is not always the case. Explore the nuances surrounding the carbon benefits of hybrid working in our previous blog.

69% of our team polled reported reduced emissions associated with work travel, while 54% noted that flexible working has enabled them to travel more often and more responsibly.

“Flexible working has meant that I’ve been able to accommodate my friend’s shift work to enable us to carpool to our separate jobs. Since they start later in the day, I’m more than happy to spend 2 hours working from home in the morning, driving us both to our jobs, which are close together and then being able to carry on working in the office.” – Ella

“I have remote worked while I slow travelled by ferry to England for in-person work events, had the flexibility to take extended periods of leave to travel, and most notably, had the freedom to now take my role to the Southern Hemisphere where I now remote work from Melbourne, Australia! Here I also have a limited work-related personal carbon-footprint, walking and using public transport everyday, with just personal tech and energy usage.” – Catherine

“Flexible working allows me to devote time towards cooking healthy and fresh meals and consume them at a time of my choice. This allows me to avoid food waste as I do not cook and store large batches of food.” – Shree

Beyond carbon: The broader benefits of flexible working

While the climate wins are clear, flexible working offers other benefits too.

• Improves wellbeing – helping people work when they’re most productive.
• Supports carers and parents – better accommodating caregiving roles.
• Boosts inclusion – opening up roles to those who might be excluded by rigid work models.
• Increases staff retention and engagement – building a more resilient team
• Encourages regional equity – enabling people to work from anywhere, not just urban hubs.

100% of our team polled reported that, for them, flexible working supports a better work/life balance, improved wellbeing and improved productivity.

“Flexible working allows me to start and finish my day in a way that works for both my family and the planet. Because I work from home, I can walk my two children to and from school every day instead of driving. It’s a small routine that makes a real difference. Avoiding a daily car journey cuts our household emissions and helps set a low-carbon example for my kids. It also gives us time together outdoors to catch up in a low-key way, which I wouldn’t have if I were commuting.” – Marjolein

“I spend much of my spare time supporting people out of active addiction/alcoholism and into early recovery. Often, I am asked to speak at events and meetings, take calls from people in emergency situations, or offer guidance and support either over the phone or in person. I do this in evenings and on weekends. Being able to work from home (and eliminate commute time) has made it much easier to manage my time commitments. In some instances, this will have had a significant impact on individuals’ chances of recovery. Although I commit less time to this now, due to the emotional burden, being able to consistently provide support in evenings (in particular) has been facilitated by our flexible working policy. This, ultimately, has helped vulnerable people access support they may not have been able to otherwise. “ – Toby

“Flexible working enables me to make the most of the sunlight hours in winter, by being able to get outside on walks during the day. This supports my mental and physical health, and in turn, improves my productivity. It also means I can be active locally rather than needing to travel to an indoor venue, which I would have to drive to, to exercise after work, in the dark. This directly reduces the carbon footprint of my activities and hobbies.” – Emma

A flexible future

As we mark Flexible Working Day, we invite other organisations to consider how flexibility can support both their people and the planet. In a climate emergency, every sector has a role to play in reducing emissions.

Offering flexible work isn’t just a perk—it’s part of a responsible, future-fit organisation. Whether it’s trialling a compressed hours policy or enabling hybrid working, even small steps can make a meaningful difference.

We’ll continue championing flexible, low-carbon ways of working—and celebrating the many co-benefits they bring. Happy Flexible Working Day from all of us at The Carbon Literacy Project!