Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337463 
Year of Publication: 
2026
Series/Report no.: 
Deutsche Bundesbank Discussion Paper No. 03/2026
Publisher: 
Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt a. M.
Abstract: 
Given the importance of the transport sector for greenhouse gas emissions, both behavioral change will be needed to mitigate climate change in addition to technological innovation. We focus on the case of remote working as a less carbon-intensive substitute to commuting and analyze whether employees react to price incentives and work more from home in times of higher local fuel prices. Applying an instrumental variables approach based on panel data from Germany, we find moderate fuel price effects on remote working frequency, which are restricted to occupations with high skill- level and regions with limited alternatives to car commuting. We use these results to predict changes in remote working frequency as a consequence to increasing carbon prices as discussed for climate policy. Results indicate that even with ambitious carbon pricing, individual remote working frequency will increase modestly, causing only limited reductions in German national aggregate fuel and carbon emissions.
Subjects: 
fuel price
elasticity
remote working
telework
commuting
longitudinal
JEL: 
H23
Q41
Q48
Q54
Q58
R41
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-3-98848-060-6
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.