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Research: Video streaming is twice as bad as aviation for carbon emissions

The report from InterDigital reveals that streaming accounts for 4 per cent of global carbon emissions compared to the aviation industry's 2 per cent

The video streaming industry accounts for 4 per cent of global carbon emissions according to research from mobile and video technology research and development company InterDigital.

The company has partnered with Futuresouce Consulting to publish a report looking at sustainability in the TV and video value chain.

It reveals that while streaming accounts for 4 per cent, the aviation industry accounts for just 2 per cent.

The report, titled Spotlight on Sustainability: Towards a greener TV and video value chain, analyses the carbon footprint created by the video entertainment industry, from the point of production to delivery, and consumption. It also examines emerging solutions to mitigate the environmental impact across the video value chain.

The report adds that since 2023, each hour of film production has equated to an average of 16.6 tCO2e of carbon, equivalent to the energy consumption of two homes per annum.

In 2024, an estimated 54 MtCO2e of emissions were generated from TVs: this is roughly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 11.7 million passenger vehicles.

According to Futuresource, there are now 858 million 4K TVs installed in homes, yet the emissions generated per hour from 4K TVs are around 1.7x that of a 1080 HD TV.

The report adds that last summer’s Paris Olympics had an estimated media carbon footprint of 602.8 million tons, with an estimated 1.25 TWh of electricity consumed as a result of streaming across televisions, mobile phones and laptops. According to InterDigital, if PVR technology was applied to devices showing the Olympics, roughly 48 million kWh of energy could have been saved, which is the equivalent of fuelling 4,000 homes for a year.

One of the biggest challenges for the industry comes from Scope 3 emissions, it says, which arise from indirect sources such as travel, accommodation, catering, and post production. It cites examples of where the industry can reduce its emissions:

  • IP-based remote virtual production, for example, could lower the industry’s carbon footprint by 6x less CO₂ than on-site methods.
  • TVs remain the most energy-intensive devices, but investments in AI and brightness-adjustment technologies mean that energy consumption of TVs is set to decline by 15 per cent by 2028.
  • Overall energy consumption for video entertainment devices – which includes TVs, set-top boxes, media streamers, gaming consoles, smartphones, and tablets – has declined by 17 per cent since 2020, with another 12 per cent reduction expected by 2028, as older devices are replaced with more energy-efficient alternatives.

“It is the responsibility of the entire industry to make changes that will improve the sustainability of the TV and video sector”, said Lionel Oisel, InterDigital’s head of video labs. “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.”