European Commission has urged people to work from home and to drive & fly less, stressing that Europe is facing a ‘very serious situation’. Will Indian companies allow remote work?
Thirty-seven-year-old Neelam Arora’s workday begins long before she reaches her office. Every morning, she sets out on a nearly 40-km commute from Dwarka to Noida Sector 127, navigating traffic, rising fuel prices, and long hours on the road, burning up to 3.5 litres of petrol on a one-way trip alone. Multiply that over a week, and the cost is no longer just personal; it reflects a larger, invisible energy burden that millions of urban commuters carry every day.
The European Commission has urged people to work from home and to drive and fly less. Stressing that Europe was facing a “very serious situation”, EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen said, “Even if … peace is here tomorrow, we will still not go back to normal in the foreseeable future… The more you can do to save oil, especially diesel and jet fuel, the better off we are.”
If people travel less, they consume less energy. This means work culture itself can become a tool of energy policy. Can this become a mandate in India?
“India should adopt a calibrated hybrid approach rather than a full shift,” said Sonica Aron, Founder & Managing Partner, Marching Sheep — an HR advisory firm. She pointed to research from Deloitte that showed 56% of employees currently work remotely on a part-time basis, demonstrating their ability to work under flexible systems.
From Fuel Supply To Behaviour Change
The current crisis, driven by global supply disruptions and the Middle East tensions, has pushed energy prices higher and strained supply chains. Large energy importers across Asia and Europe are feeling the pressure of rising fuel and input costs. Nearly 25-30% of the world’s oil and about 20% of liquefied natural gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical supply route for both regions. As disruptions tighten supplies, oil-dependent economies in Africa and Asia are struggling to secure fuel, even at significantly higher prices.
At the same time, several regions, including parts of the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, are facing a broader economic squeeze. Higher food and fertiliser prices, coupled with tighter financial conditions, are adding to the strain. Low-income countries are particularly vulnerable, with growing risks of food insecurity and shrinking access to external support when it is needed most.
Traditionally, governments respond by trying to increase supply, that is, buying more fuel, tapping reserves, or negotiating new imports. But Europe is encouraging remote work, limiting unnecessary travel, and promoting public transport, all of which are part of this strategy instead of chasing supply alone.
What Exactly Has Europe Planned
IEA executive director Fatih Birol told the BBC the world was facing “the greatest global energy security threat in history” and that it was time for governments to become “more vocal” about how energy is being used.
The IEA’s other suggestions for governments, businesses and individuals include:
Promoting the use of public transport
Allowing private cars access to city centres on alternate days
Encouraging car sharing and efficient driving habits
Avoiding air travel where possible, especially business flights
Switching to electric cooking
It also said there should be a focused effort to preserve liquefied petroleum gas for cooking and other essential uses by switching biofuel-converted vehicles to gas and introducing other measures to reduce its use.
Birol said these proposals were in addition to action taken by IEA member countries earlier this month, when they agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil, about 20% of their emergency reserves.
“I believe the world has not yet fully understood the depth of the energy security challenge we are facing,” he added.
Jørgensen urged member countries to follow the advice of the IEA, which he said included “working from home where possible, reducing highway speed limits by 10 km [an hour], encouraging public transport, alternating private car access … increasing car sharing and adopting efficient driving practices”.
Why Remote Work Is Back On The Table
During the pandemic, remote work became a necessity. Now, it is being reconsidered as a strategic lever.
The logic is straightforward. Daily commuting, whether by car, bus or train, consumes fuel and electricity at scale. Even small reductions in travel can translate into meaningful energy savings when applied across entire populations.
By nudging companies to adopt hybrid or remote models, governments can lower fuel demand without imposing direct restrictions. It is a softer, more flexible intervention compared to rationing or price controls.
At the same time, incentives such as cheaper public transport and support for clean technologies are being positioned alongside these behavioural changes, creating a broader demand-side response.
How Energy Security Is Defined Today
Today, energy security is defined as the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price. However, the concept has evolved significantly — from a narrow focus on oil supply in the aftermath of the 1973 crisis to a broader, more complex framework that now includes sustainability, resilience, and decarbonisation.
Modern energy security is often understood through the “4 As” framework:
Availability: Ensuring a stable, long-term supply of energy resources.
Accessibility: Addressing geopolitical and infrastructure challenges in delivering energy.
Affordability: Keeping energy prices stable and within reach for households and businesses.
Acceptability: Aligning energy use with environmental goals and lower carbon emissions.
It is no longer just about how much fuel a country can access, but also how efficiently it can manage consumption. This approach recognises that demand is not fixed. It can be influenced through policy, incentives, and social norms. And in times of crisis, reducing demand can be just as effective as increasing supply.
The crisis, which has disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz and, in some cases, brought oil and LNG movement to a near standstill, is accelerating the shift towards localised renewable energy as a pillar of national security, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI).
Clean energy is increasingly being seen as critical for price stability and domestic resilience, with analysts noting that “no Strait of Hormuz can blockade the wind, sun, water or the Earth’s own heat.”
Can Remote Work Be A Mandate In India?
The daily commute across the National Capital Region involves millions of vehicles, extensive public transport usage, and significant energy consumption. Cars, cabs, buses, and metro systems all contribute to a vast and continuous demand for fuel and electricity.
A structured push towards hybrid or remote work could ease this burden. Fewer commutes would mean lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and less congestion.
This is where the energy story intersects with public health. Delhi’s persistent air quality challenges are closely linked to vehicular emissions. Cutting down on daily travel could offer dual benefits — energy savings and cleaner air.
“Europe is forcing a conversation India should have started earlier. Remote work as an energy strategy makes sense — fewer commutes, lower office consumption, smaller carbon load. Should India follow? Selectively, yes. Not every sector can go fully remote, but hybrid is a realistic middle path,” said Vishal Datt Wadhwa, Founder & CEO, CoWorkZen — a Noida-based co-working, office space provider.
“For practical steps, enterprises can shift to shorter office weeks, consolidate into shared workspaces, optimise HVAC through staggered schedules, and adopt energy-monitored coworking facilities. Flexibility is not just a people policy anymore. It’s an energy policy,” Wadhwa added.
Will this impact productivity? Aron stressed that hybrid models have the “capability to increase operational efficiency” at organisations. Ernst & Young found that 57% of companies experienced productivity improvements, along with cost reductions and better employee retention rates.
If the remote work approach gains wider acceptance, it could redefine how governments respond to future energy shocks. Instead of relying solely on supply-side solutions, they may increasingly turn to behavioural changes, reshaping daily routines to manage national demand.