What’s Going On Here?
Experts are reporting that a 4 day week will benefit society, the economy, our health and would massively reduce our carbon footprint (by almost a third). Oh and we’d have another day to chillax…
What Does This Mean?
The 4 day week campaign aims for a society where health and well-being come first. Taking more time to complete activities that strengthen communities, promote better mental and physical health, redistribute workloads and move away from a convenience-led consumption that is damaging our environment.
It might come as no surprise then that a recent UK poll found that 74% of people supported a 4 day week.
Why Should We Care?
Studies have found that if we spent 10% less time working, our carbon footprint would be reduced by 15%. If we cut the hours we work by 25% – or a day and a quarter each week – our carbon footprint would decline by 37%.
Aidan Harper, 4 day week campaigner says: “There is a tight relationship between working time and carbon emissions. Time poor economies tend to be particularly bad for their ecological footprint and their carbon emissions.”
Alternatively, a life with more time is less rushed and allows us to complete activities that might take a little longer e.g. we could opt for cycling over driving, or use fresh locally sourced ingredients over those intensive frozen ready meals.
Studies have shown that our productivity actually increases when our working hours are reduced to a 4 day (32 hour) week. whilst, the most up to date modelling suggests that people won’t fill their time with carbon intensive activities but instead want the time back to do the important things.
Be Curious!
To find out more visit www.4dayweek.co.uk or listen to Adrian and our friends Dave and Ollie at Sustainababble as they deep dive into the world of working less.
