The streaming giant promises to achieve net-zero emissions by the end of 2022.
The company says that 50 percent of its footprint comes from making film and TV, followed by corporate operations (40 percent). Streaming content, via data centre providers, accounts for 5 percent of emissions.
The company says it will “reduce, retain and remove” carbon through measures such as installing solar panels, hiring local crew to avoid long-haul travel, and using LED lighting and electric vehicles on set. Any emissions it can’t cut internally, it says, will be offset through conservation projects. Carbon offsetting schemes are controversial, with critics claiming they are a poor substitute for eliminating emissions.
“We fully anticipate that we’ll be able to hit this target despite it looming on the horizon,” Emma Stewart, the company’s first appointed sustainability officer, told the Independent.
Whilst it's great that another tech giant is pledging to achieve net-zero in the very near future, unfortunately it doesn't make binge watching the channel entirely guilt free. When you watch Netflix, or any other provider, you will be piling up carbon emissions from your watching habits. But the good news is that if you choose standard definition rather than high definition when you’re streaming content from services such as Netflix, you can achieve an 86 percent reduction in your carbon footprint.
From Zoom to Netflix to emails, there's lots of easy little tweaks you can make to minimise your impact on the planet. Find out more...