Netflix has published a report detailing progress in meeting its sustainability targets in 2021.
This time last year the streamer said it was aiming to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by the end of 2022.
In a blog post, Emma Stewart, Ph.D., Netflix’s sustainability officer, said the Net Zero + Nature initiative is on track to meet the company’s science-based climate targets.
In total Netflix reduced or avoided more than 14,000 metric tons of emissions in 2021, reducing its Scope 1 and 2 footprint by more than 10 per cent from what it otherwise would have been.
“This means we’re on track to cut 45 per cent of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030,” said Stewart. “Working with our utilities, landlords, and streaming partners to switch to renewable electricity; swapping in batteries, renewable diesel and electric vehicles on our productions; and buying sustainable aviation fuel all helped contribute to this reduction. The 2030 carbon reduction roadmap in our report charts how we plan to deliver our climate goals in more detail.”
However, Netflix’s overall carbon footprint actually increased in 2021, from 1.05 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) in 2020 to 1.54 million MTCO2e in 2021 for scopes 1, 2 and 3.
Stewart puts this down to an increate in film and TV production in 2021 following the impact of the pandemic the year before.
She also revealed that Netflix has cut a combined 27,380 gallons of fuel from its productions by adding more electric vehicals on set and replacing some diesel generators with mobile electric batteries or green hydrogen power units (e.g. on Bridgerton season two, and plans to expand to more this year.
Netflix’s full Environmental Social Governance Report 2021 is available to read here.
