TV & video streaming emissions double airline industry

The TV and video streaming industry is now believed to account for 4% of total global emissions, making it a substantial contributor to greenhouse gases, according to a report by InterDigital and Futuresource.

The paper, "Spotlight on Sustainability: Towards a greener TV and video value chain," outlines the industry's significant emissions, estimated at 1.75 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) annually. This represents a growth rate of 9% year-on-year in emissions from the sector.

In 2024 alone, the report estimates that TVs generated 54 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, a figure comparable to the greenhouse gas emissions produced by 11.7 million passenger vehicles per annum. This coincides with the enormous reach of video entertainment platforms, with over 2.2 billion TVs installed globally and a combined 636 million subscribers on services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

The report sheds light on the role that technological solutions could play in reducing the environmental impact. One such solution is Pixel Value Reduction (PVR) technology, which could potentially save 48 million kWh of energy if applied to major events such as the Paris Olympics. This energy saving is equivalent to powering 4,000 US homes for a year or providing electricity for 40 million showers.

"While everyone is aware of the contributions the airline industry makes to greenhouse gas emissions—accounting for 2% of all global greenhouse emissions per year—what isn't common knowledge is the impact the TV and video streaming industry has, which is in fact, double the emissions from the airline industry," stated the report.

Lionel Oisel, InterDigital's Head of Video Labs, commented on the industry's responsibility, saying, "It is the responsibility of the entire industry to make changes that will improve the sustainability of the TV and video sector. While change is being made, more can and should be done. Technologies like PVR have the potential to make significant energy savings, even when applied to special events like the Olympics. If this was applied universally, the benefits could be huge, and a game changer for the industry."

The report identifies Scope 3 emissions as a significant challenge, arising from indirect sources like travel, accommodation, and post-production services. Nonetheless, developments such as IP-based remote virtual production are suggested as ways to significantly decrease emissions, potentially achieving up to 6 times less CO2 compared to traditional on-site methods.

Efforts towards sustainability are also evident in device technology, as TV energy consumption is projected to decrease by 15% by 2028 due to investments in AI and brightness-adjustment technologies. Furthermore, the overall energy consumption for video entertainment devices, including TVs, set-top boxes, and media streamers, has reduced by 17% since 2020, with further decreases anticipated.

The emissions impact is compounded by the rising prominence of video as a significant portion of internet traffic, accounting for an estimated 80% of total traffic. Each hour of film production since 2023 equals the energy consumption of two homes per year, further underscoring the industry's environmental footprint.

The report highlights that there are currently 858 million 4K TVs in homes, with emissions per hour from these devices being 1.7 times that of 1080 HD TVs. Major sporting and global events continue to have a notable environmental impact, as evidenced by the Paris Olympics' media carbon footprint of 602.8 million tonnes due to energy consumed during streaming.