Well, I certainly hope so. But how eco-friendly is streaming entertainment? Netflix measured its emissions impact and wants to be at net zero by 2022
Late last year, Emma Stewart was appointed Netflix's first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer, and today, in a newly-launched hub on the company website, Stewart provides some interesting stats about how the popular streaming service impacts the environment—and the steps Netflix is taking to offset its emissions, with the goal of becoming net-zero by the end of 2022.
For example, did you know that in 2020, Netflix's carbon footprint—which is largely (50 per cent) comprised of show production—was 1 million metric tonnes? After content creation, "corporate operations and purchased goods" account for 45 per cent of the company's annual carbon footprint. The remaining 5 per cent is attributable to delivery of the content to the consumer.
In the annual Environmental Social Governance Report to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, Netflix reports that, according to an assessment performed by the University of Bristol Computer Science Department, one hour of streaming on Netflix produces "well under 100gCO2e, equivalent to driving a gas-powered passenger vehicle one-quarter mile (400 metres)."
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In order to reach the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of next year, Stewart presented Netflix's three-pronged plan—dubbed "Net Zero + Nature". It involves:
- Reducing the company's overall emissions
- Retaining carbon storage to neutralise emissions by "investing in projects that prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere". This will include initiatives that target "at-risk natural areas like tropical forests."
- Removing carbon from the atmosphere through investing in the regeneration of natural ecosystems—including restoration of grasslands, mangroves and healthy soils.
Netflix is the latest in a long line of corporations leading the way in conservation. Last week, LVMH announced a multi-million dollar programme in partnership with UNESCO targeted at preventing and combatting deforestation in the Amazon.
"I’m fortunate to be able to combine my love of science and storytelling at Netflix, where we aspire to entertain the world," Stewart told Deadline. "But that requires a habitable world to entertain."
To learn more about steps we can all take to protect the environment, check out these powerful Netflix documentaries for inspiration: