The e-learning Footprint: A Walkway to a Greener Future

With a greener future on the horizon it is becoming more important for companies to commit to walking the greener path and making an effort to provide an economically friendly work environment.

There are a number of ways a company can embrace the tree-hugging way of life and what better way to say “Green is the new Black” than e-learning?
When you think about it, e-learning lowers a considerable number of carbon emissions. Let’s take a look at a few:

Fuel for Thought –
Providing anywhere-anytime learning means that companies no longer need to send their staff to the four corners of the globe to take part in training courses, seminars or conventions. This elimination of travel means one less contributor to the atmospheric pollution that planes, trains and automobiles create.

The Paper Trail –
To take part in an online training course all you need is an internet connection and a p.c. Gone are the days of 300 page manuals, exercise books, and loose leaf handouts, that are quickly skimmed, hurriedly forgot, and absent-mindedly added to the mountainous pile of white paper fighting for space in the top drawer. By using web-based tools such as webinairs, online courses, PDF manuals and live instant mentoring, companies eliminate the paper cuts and accentuate the forests.

e is for Energy –
As e-learning technologies bring learning to the people, not people to the learning, energy emissions are kept to a minimum. As well as the negative impact that travelling to training sessions, conferences etc has on the environment, there’s also the amount of energy used to accommodate such meetings. As most learners probably aren’t too eager to receive training by candlelight, nor would they be well pleased to have to attend a session dressed in snow gear, training and meeting venues ensure that the heating and lighting bills are paid and a cosy, well lit room awaits, clocking up unnecessary energy emissions.

A recent study by the Open University on the environmental impacts of conventional campus, print-based and electronic distance/open learning systems drew some interesting and thought-provoking conclusions.

The study found that on average “…distance/open learning courses used 90% less energy consumption and produced 90% fewer CO2 emissions than the conventional campus based university courses.”

These findings have huge implications for the future impact that e-learning can have towards creating a more environmentally friendly learning atmosphere and encourage companies to embrace the greener way of life.

What is your company doing to keep things green?