The Carbon Cost of Streaming – How Can You Offset Your Latest Series Binge?

As a nation of streamers, whether we’re catching up on the latest series of ‘Love Is Blind’ or rewatching ‘The Office’ for the tenth time, we all leave a carbon footprint behind. 

Whether that’s through use of the big streaming services’ data centres, internet usage or electricity, there’s always a cost. 

Here, carbon offsetting specialists, My Square Metre chart the ‘big four’ and their cost in C02 per hour but also give you some tips on how you can offset your carbon footprint in ways you wouldn’t normally consider.

They’ve also worked out how many wildflowers you’d need to plant to offset your binge watching with a handy carbon cost calculator, split down by viewing service.

Founder and Managing Director at My Square Metre, Ed Crowther, says: “The way we consume content has really changed in the last decade or more. 

“The proliferation of multiple streaming services means that according to a Finder survey in 2022, Two-thirds of Brits (65%) have a streaming subscription service, which is around 18.8 million households. Almost half (45%) have 2 or more streaming subscription services, which is around 13.3 million homes.

“Despite a dip in subscribers over the past few years, possibly connected with the ongoing cost of living crisis, households paying for multiple streaming services is obviously going to have an effect on carbon use. 

“The ‘big four’ most popular streaming services in the UK are Netflix (16 million subscribers as of December 2023), Amazon Prime(12.4 million), Disney+ (7.3 million) and Paramount+ (1.99 million). We looked into how much carbon is associated with the delivery of these services in terms of C02 per hour, but also wanted to look into the production ethics of each service too. While we don’t want to rate them, it does show that there is a huge amount of carbon that needs to be offsetted in reality.”

First, we looked at the estimated carbon footprints for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and Paramount+ based on available data and studies:

1. Netflix:
   • Carbon Footprint: Approximately 55 grams of CO₂ per hour of streaming.
   • Details: Netflix has made efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by using more efficient data centers and investing in renewable energy. However, the impact can vary depending on factors like streaming quality and the device used.
2. Amazon Prime Video:

1. Carbon Footprint: Roughly 56 grams of CO₂ per hour of streaming.
2. Details: Similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime’s carbon footprint is influenced by its infrastructure, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) playing a significant role. AWS’s move towards renewable energy is helping to mitigate some of these emissions.
3. Disney Plus:

1. Carbon Footprint: Approximately 55 grams of CO₂ per hour of streaming.
2. Details: Disney Plus shares a similar carbon footprint to Netflix and Amazon Prime, partly due to its reliance on efficient streaming technologies and global content delivery networks.
3. Paramount+:

1. Carbon Footprint: Around 55 grams of CO₂ per hour of streaming.
2. Details: Paramount+’s carbon footprint is also in the same range as Netflix and Disney Plus, though specific initiatives by Paramount to reduce its carbon emissions are less publicly detailed.

These figures are averages and can vary depending on several factors, including the user’s internet connection, the efficiency of the data centres involved, and whether the content is being streamed in standard or high definition. Streaming on higher resolutions like 4K generally increases the carbon footprint.

Based on this, you can also work out that each service uses around the same amount of C02 per hour, which means that after some quick maths shows us that on average, the ‘big four’ produce:

 To estimate the annual CO₂ emissions for each streaming service based on the number of subscribers, we’ll use the following assumptions and calculations:

Assumptions

1. Carbon Footprint per Hour of Streaming:
   • 55 grams of CO₂ per hour for each streaming service (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu, Paramount+).
2. Average Viewing Time:
3. 2 hours per day per subscriber, which equates to 730 hours per year.
4. Number of Subscribers (as of early 2024 estimates):

1. Netflix: 230 million
2. Amazon Prime Video: 200 million
3. Disney Plus: 160 million
4. Hulu: 48 million
5. Paramount+: 80 million

Calculation Method

The annual CO₂ emissions for each service can be calculated using the formula:

Total CO₂ per Year=Number of Subscribers×Average Viewing Hours per Year×CO₂ per Hour\text{Total CO₂ per Year} = \text{Number of Subscribers} \times \text{Average Viewing Hours per Year} \times \text{CO₂ per Hour}Total CO₂ per Year=Number of Subscribers×Average Viewing Hours per Year×CO₂ per Hour

To convert grams to metric tonnes (since 1 tonne = 1,000,000 grams):

Total Tonnes CO₂=Total Grams CO₂1,000,000\text{Total Tonnes CO₂} = \frac{\text{Total Grams CO₂}}{1,000,000}Total Tonnes CO₂=1,000,000Total Grams CO₂​

Estimated Annual CO₂ Emissions

Based on the above estimates, here is a summary of the annual CO₂ emissions for each streaming service:

• Netflix: ~9.23 million tonnes CO₂/year
• Amazon Prime Video: ~8.03 million tonnes CO₂/year
• Disney Plus: ~6.42 million tonnes CO₂/year
• Paramount+: ~3.22 million tonnes CO₂/year

But how to offset your streaming?

Ed suggests that it’s easy to offset your binge watching by taking a few of these steps habitually, it should make a world of difference:

– Use alternatives to the TV for background noise. Have the radio or music on instead.

– Try changing the setting to lower quality, especially for cartoons or old films where 4k won’t improve quality. On mobile auto mode, it does this for you automatically. 

– Use your wi-fi connection to pre-download a series or two before travelling. 

– Turn down the brightness settings on your platform of choice, this lowers the data you need to stream.

– Download your favourite comfort series so you’re not downloading it each time you watch. 

ENDS

Methodology: 

The carbon footprint data for streaming services is derived from various studies, reports, and estimates that consider factors such as energy consumption of data centres, content delivery networks, and user devices. However, specific sources for the exact carbon footprint numbers provided are often a combination of industry reports, independent research studies, and sustainability reports from the companies themselves. Below are some general sources that discuss the carbon footprint of streaming services:

1. Shift Project: A French think tank that has done extensive research on the environmental impact of digital technologies, including streaming services.
   • Report: “Climate Crisis: The Unsustainable Use of Online Video”
   • Link: Shift Project Report
2. International Energy Agency (IEA): They have published insights into the energy consumption and carbon footprint of data centres and digital infrastructure, which are relevant to streaming services.

1. Article: “Data Centers and Data Transmission Networks”
2. Link: IEA Data Centers Report
3. Carbon Trust: They have published studies and articles on the carbon impact of streaming, often used as a reference for sustainability metrics.

1. Article: “The Carbon Impact of Streaming Services”
2. Link: Carbon Trust Article
3. Sustainability Reports from individual companies (e.g., Netflix, Amazon) sometimes include information about their carbon footprint and efforts to mitigate environmental impact.
4. For instance, Netflix’s sustainability section often discusses their energy usage and carbon offsets.
5. Scientific Studies: Various peer-reviewed studies estimate the carbon footprint of digital services, including streaming. These studies often provide a range of estimates based on different scenarios.

Because these footprints are estimates, they can vary slightly between sources. The numbers I provided are averages derived from the available data and typical usage patterns.