Back to All News
The True Climate Impact of Streaming
Emma Stewart, Ph.D.
Netflix Sustainability Officer
Daniel Schien, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science at University of Bristol
Social Impact
10 June 2021
Global
What's the true impact of streaming on the climate? Some studies have tried to answer this question, but it's hard to get right. Delivering an episode of Shadow and Bone to your screen requires different technologies that are constantly evolving - from the data centers where the data is housed, to the infrastructure that brings the internet to your home, to the electricity powering how you enjoy the show. Measuring those emissions took a lot of guesswork, resulting in studies with inaccurate estimates and myths - until now.
Researchers at the University of Bristol spent a decade developing a tool to calculate the carbon footprint of streaming and other everyday internet uses, such as browsing news stories, to answer this question. The calculator uses the latest scientific protocols to measure emissions (i.e., lifecycle assessments) and data directly from the entertainment and media companies who rely on streaming delivery themselves, compared to the generic estimations of past studies.
This research is the subject of a new independent white paper, released today, by sustainability researchers at The Carbon Trust. Though there's a lot to chew on in the full paper here, there are four key findings:
The average carbon footprint of one hour of streaming in Europe is approximately 55 gCO2e (grams of carbon dioxide equivalents). That's about the same as microwaving four bags of popcorn, or three boils in an electric kettle in the UK.* Previous guesswork profiled in the media had this figure as high as 3200 gCO2e, or as much as microwaving 200 bags of popcorn. So quite a difference!
Adjusting picture resolution makes a very small difference in carbon emissions. For example, changing from standard definition to 4K resolution increases emissions from just under 1g CO2e/hour to just over 1g CO2e/hour. Why? The internet is always on, so the additional energy it takes to transmit higher resolution to your TV is marginal compared to the energy it takes to constantly operate the internet. Past studies overestimated this increase to be as high as 500g CO2e/hour.
While streaming and internet use have grown these past few years, energy consumption from those activities has actually decreased over time. This is because data center, internet, and utilities providers can take on more demand without consuming more energy. They're continually updating their equipment to be more energy efficient, as well as buying and using more renewable electricity. The white paper looks at past trends to break this down.
Consumer devices (TVs, laptops/PCs, smartphones, tablets) make up more than half of the carbon emissions from streaming (over 50%), compared to other components like data centers or internet service, so the device you choose to stream on, and using renewable electricity at home, can have a big impact on emissions and energy consumption. Devices, including TVs, are becoming more energy efficient over time.
Netflix and other companies have used this calculator tool as part of DIMPACT, a collaborative project convening entertainment and media companies with University of Bristol researchers. Netflix recently ran its own data through the tool and found that the emissions from an hour of streaming the world over is well below 100gCO2e, or less than driving a gas-powered vehicle a quarter mile or 400 metres.* This figure includes more carbon-intensive electricity grids from regions like the U.S. and Canada, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. So it's a bit higher than Carbon Trust's finding, which is specific to Europe, where the power grid is less carbon-intensive.*
The tool's validation by Carbon Trust's research brings us one step closer to accurately and consistently assessing the climate impact of streaming -- be it from data centers, internet providers, or device manufacturers, and entertainment and media companies who rely on streaming. Better understanding this footprint means we can better focus on reducing those emissions across industries, countries and the world.
*These comparisons will vary by country, with the carbon intensity of the users national grid.*These comparisons will vary by country.*This assessment only currently considers the impact from electricity consumption during use. Other phases of the lifecycle researchers want to further investigate are the manufacturing and end-of-life stages of devices.
Emma Stewart, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) serves as inaugural Netflix Sustainability Officer, a position she's held since October 2020. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a B.A. Honors from Oxford University. Prior to Netflix, she was a Director at World Resources Institute, Head of Sustainability Solutions at design software leader Autodesk where she co-authored the world's first science-based corporate climate target, and founded the R&D department at Business for Social Responsibility. She has contributed to multiple books and taught Intrapreneurship for Sustainability at UC Berkeley and Stanford University.
Daniel Schien, Ph.D. (he/him/his) is Senior Lecturer in Computer Science (Associate Professor) at University of Bristol, UK. His research aims at improving our understanding of the environmental impact from information and communication technologies (ICT) and the reduction of such impact. Daniel and his team have pioneered new methods and tools to assess the carbon footprint of digital media which have been applied by major international media companies for more than a decade.
Most recent headlines
03/01/2026
A still from OBEX by Albert Birney, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance...
02/01/2026
Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Wint...
02/01/2026
NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunsh...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
Back to All News
