According to a new study of large companies using telepresence (online meetings and conferences), U.S. and U.K. businesses that implement these technologies can slash carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 5.5 million metric tons in total, which is the equivalent of removing more than one million passenger vehicles from the road for one year.

Additionally, companies could achieve total economy-wide financial benefits of almost $19 billion by 2020.

The study " Telepresence Revolution", was commissioned by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and sponsored by AT&T.

The research also found in cases where a business with $1 billion or more in annual revenue that implemented four telepresence rooms could achieve pay back on their investment in as little as 15 months and save nearly 900 business trips in the first year of using telepresence.

The study also found telepresence technology can help make decision-making more rapid, enhance employee productivity, and provide workers with a better work-life balance.

Online conferencing and telecommuting doesn't have to be confined to Fortune 500 companies though. Online meeting and conferencing services have come a long way in recent years and the technology is economical enough for even small businesses and sole traders. It's also very simple to use and you don't need dedicated teleconferencing rooms. If you're in an office where there is a bit of background noise, just whack on a headset.

I've been telecommuting full time for nearly a decade now and don't miss the commutes to and from work one little bit; nor the thousands of miles I was racking up in travel to meetings. Just about everything I do business/work connected is done online - I rarely even use the phone and when I do, that's usually via the Internet too!

Telepresence and telecommuting isn't just green, it's good business.

Related:

Telecommuting and the workplace
Green meetings: online conferencing