In an era defined by the digital revolution, streaming services have emerged as the primary source of entertainment for billions of people worldwide. With the click of a button, we can access a vast library of movies, TV shows, music, and more, all from the comfort of our screens. While this convenience has transformed how we consume content, it has also brought to light a pressing concern: the impact all of this has on the environment.
The Environmental Impact of Streaming
The rise of streaming services has undoubtedly changed the way we consume media. Streaming allows us to instantly access content, reducing clutter and waste associated with physical media. Additionally, with the added ease of access to the internet across the world, video streaming has become one of the leading forms of entertainment in people’s lives. However, most people have not taken the cost of all this into consideration.
Netflix has estimated that one hour of streaming by one user on its platform produces “well under” 100g of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) – a unit of measure that indicates carbon footprint. More specifically, the Carbon Trust says the European average is 55g to 56g of CO2e for every hour of streaming video. That is equivalent to driving about 300 meters in a car. Netflix recently reported that fans clocked up more than 6bn hours watching the top 10 shows – which included Squid Game, Stranger Things, Money Heist, and Bridgerton – in the first 28 days after each show was released. This equates to about 1.13bn miles (1.8bn km) of travel in a car based on the Carbon Trust estimate – the approximate equivalent of the current distance between Earth and Saturn.
As for YouTube, a report by researchers at Bristol University based on estimates of the streaming site’s usage in 2016, calculated that watching videos on the streaming site produced CO2e of more than 11m tonnes a year, similar to a city the size of Glasgow or Frankfurt. Given YouTube had 1.4 billion users that year, and now has more than 2.4 billion users globally, the company’s carbon footprint will be significantly bigger today.
Streaming relies on massive data centers with servers that store and deliver the content to our devices. These data centers require enormous amounts of energy to operate and maintain. The energy usage and cooling systems needed to prevent overheating contribute significantly to their carbon footprint. Streaming also relies on robust Internet infrastructure, including fiber-optic cables, routers, and network switches. The energy needed to power and maintain these elements further adds to the environmental impact. The energy consumption of the devices we use to stream, such as smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs, also contributes to the overall carbon footprint.
Most people think the internet and ICT have less harmful effects on the environment. If we compare the result for boiling water or a Paris to New York two-way flight, then 1 h of video streaming is almost the same as boiling a kettle.
But if we consider day-long use, then it generates 13 times more CO2 than the flight. Thus, internet activity as watching online video or internet surfing is considered as an invisible pollutant that generates a substantial carbon footprint.
Steps Towards Sustainability
Recognizing their environmental impact, many streaming service providers are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Companies like Netflix and Apple have committed to powering their data centers with 100% renewable energy. This transition to clean energy sources can significantly reduce emissions. Streaming companies are investing in video compression technologies that reduce the amount of data transmitted without compromising on quality. This not only improves user experience but also lowers energy consumption. Data centers are becoming more energy-efficient, with advanced cooling systems and hardware improvements.
Set against all this is the fact that consumption of streaming media is growing rapidly. Netflix subscriptions grew 20% last year to 167m and YouTube viewership increases day by day, while electricity consumption rose 84%. Many new video streaming and cloud gaming services have also been launched in recent months. Particularly noteworthy is the rapid growth in video traffic over mobile networks, which is growing at 55% per year. Phones and tablets already account for more than 70% of the billion hours of YouTube streamed every day. The ease of accessing streaming media is leading to a large rebound effect, with overall streaming video consumption rising rapidly. But the complexity of the direct and indirect effects of digital services, such as streaming video, e-books, and online shopping, make it immensely challenging to quantify the net environmental impacts, relative to alternative forms of consumption.
Additionally, emerging digital technologies, such as machine learning, blockchain, 5G, and virtual reality, are likely to further accelerate demand for data center and network services. Researchers have started to study the potential energy and emissions impacts of these technologies, including blockchain and machine learning. It is becoming increasingly likely that efficiency gains of current technologies may be unable to keep pace with this growing data demand. To reduce the risk of rising energy use and emissions, investments in R&D for efficient next-generation computing and communications technologies are needed, alongside continued efforts to decarbonize the electricity supply.