Streaming video is now a regular part of life for billions of people. In 2024, Netflix users watched 94 billion hours of content, and over 122 million Disney+ subscribers streamed about 28.4 billion hours. Since video streaming makes up 60 to 70 percent of global internet traffic, it’s more important than ever to understand its environmental impact.

The good news is that streaming’s emissions per hour are still fairly low compared to many daily activities. However, because so many people stream and data centers are also needed for artificial intelligence, the environmental impact of digital entertainment is now too big to overlook.

How Much Carbon Does Streaming Actually Produce?

Research from the Carbon Trust estimates that one hour of video streaming generates approximately 55 grams of CO₂ equivalent in Europe. That’s roughly the same as boiling water for a few cups of tea. A 2020 International Energy Agency analysis suggested an even lower figure of around 36 grams CO₂ per hour, reflecting continuing efficiency improvements in data centers and networks.

These individual stream impacts may seem small, but they add up quickly. According to a Greenly analysis, Netflix’s total streaming emissions reached approximately 5.17 million metric tons of CO₂e in 2024, comparable to driving 18.6 billion miles in a gasoline-powered car. Add in Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and other platforms, and global video streaming produces emissions rivaling those of small countries.

In a way, we haven’t stopped creating emissions from going to the drive-in movies; we’ve just moved them into our living rooms.

Where Do the Emissions Come From?

The carbon footprint of streaming spans a complex chain from content creation to your screen. According to Netflix’s ESG reporting, the breakdown looks quite different from what many assume.

Netflix’s analysis shows that about 89 percent of streaming emissions come from device makers and the equipment you use to watch. Your screen is the biggest source at 46 percent, with home networking gear like routers and modems at 38 percent. Internet providers and network infrastructure add about 10 percent, and Netflix’s own data centers make up just 1 percent.

So, while it’s important for tech companies to invest in renewable energy and efficient data centers, the best ways to cut streaming’s impact are by improving device efficiency and using cleaner electricity at home.

Water Use: A Hidden Cost

Carbon emissions are just one part of the picture. Data centers also use huge amounts of water for cooling, and this need is rising quickly as both AI and streaming require more server space.

According to a Brookings Institution report, a typical data center consumes 300,000 gallons of water per day, the equivalent of the water used by about 1,000 households. Large data centers can use up to 5 million gallons per day, matching the water demands of a town of 50,000 people. A 2024 study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated that U.S. data centers used 17 billion gallons of water for cooling in 2023, and projections suggest this could double or even quadruple by 2028.

The fast growth of generative AI is putting even more strain on these resources. Research from late 2025 shows that AI systems alone could use as much water as the world’s yearly bottled water consumption. Since streaming and AI both use the same data centers, they are now competing for limited resources, especially in dry areas like the American West and Southwest.

Your Choice of Devices Makes a Big Difference

The Carbon Trust’s research backs up what experts have thought for a while: the device you use makes a big difference. Streaming on a 50-inch TV uses about 4.5 times more energy than a laptop and 90 times more than a smartphone.

Video quality also plays a role, but maybe not as much as you’d think. 4K streaming uses about 7 GB of data per hour, while standard definition uses just 1 GB. Still, device choice has a bigger effect on carbon emissions. If you’re watching on a small screen, picking standard or high definition instead of 4K can save energy.

A big hidden carbon impact lies in making the devices in your home. About 80 percent of a smartphone’s lifetime carbon emissions and a third of a TV’s come from production. Newer streaming codecs like AV1 and VVC help compress files better, but they also need more computing power, which can make older devices outdated. Netflix now warns that its apps may not work on TVs made before 2015, which raises concerns about electronic waste and offsets some efficiency gains.

What Streaming Companies Are Doing

Major streaming platforms have set big goals for sustainability.

Netflix claims it achieved operational carbon neutrality in 2022 and aims to cut emissions by 50 percent from 2019 levels by 2030. The company had reduced its Scope 1 (direct) emissions by 52 percent and Scope 2 (purchased energy) emissions by 41 percent as of 2024, primarily by electrifying its vehicle fleets, transitioning production sets to clean generators, and matching 100 percent of electricity consumption with renewable energy credits.

Netflix is also part of DIMPACT, a group working on science-based tools to measure and lower the carbon footprint of digital services. By working together, streaming companies are finding best practices, supporting smart policies, and creating solutions to make video streaming greener at every step.

Amazon Web Services, which powers Prime Video and many other streaming services, has committed to being water-positive by 2030 and reports water-use efficiency of 0.15 liters per kilowatt-hour, significantly better than the industry average of 0.36 liters/kWh. Google, another major cloud provider, has pledged to run its data centers on carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030.

Efficiency vs. Consumption

Here’s the challenge that keeps sustainability researchers up at night: as streaming becomes more efficient, we’re also streaming more. A 2024 survey of video streaming’s environmental impact published in the Journal of the ACM notes that while energy intensity per hour of streaming has dropped substantially over the past decade, total streaming hours have exploded, offsetting efficiency gains.

The International Energy Agency warns that efficiency improvements may struggle to keep pace with growing demand, especially as emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and virtual reality further accelerate data consumption. Between 2020 and 2030, researchers project global data transmission will increase approximately fourteenfold.

What You Can Do

Individual actions can’t solve streaming’s environmental impact by themselves, but smart choices do add up when billions of people make them.

Start with your energy source. If you have access to residential solar, community solar, or a utility program that lets you opt into renewable energy, your streaming emissions drop substantially regardless of what device you use or how much you watch.

Pick smaller screens when you don’t need top quality. Watching the news on your phone instead of your TV uses much less energy. If you use a big TV, turn on power-saving modes and switch it off completely when you’re done, not just to standby.

Think about the resolution you need. If you’re listening to a podcast or watching a cooking video on a tablet, standard definition works just as well and uses much less energy and data.

Make your devices last longer. The carbon from making your phone, tablet, or TV is much higher than years of streaming. Avoid upgrading too often, choose refurbished devices, and recycle electronics properly to help lower the industry’s overall impact.

Download content you plan to watch or listen to more than once. Downloading over Wi-Fi means you won’t use extra energy each time you stream it again.

Finally, use energy-efficient routers and consider turning network equipment off during extended periods when no one is home. Routers consume power 24/7, whether you’re streaming or not.

Seeing The Bigger Picture

Streaming’s carbon footprint is smaller than that of transportation, home heating, or food choices, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. The digital world still uses a lot of energy and water, and our demand for data is rising fast.

The RESET environmental platform notes that the conversation about streaming’s sustainability has been overshadowed by concerns about generative AI’s vastly larger footprint. But even as AI dominates headlines, streaming’s impact hasn’t disappeared—we’re simply watching more than ever.

The path forward requires action at every level: continued investment in renewable energy and efficient infrastructure by tech companies, policies that encourage data center sustainability, and mindful consumption by viewers. Digital entertainment is here to stay. The challenge is ensuring streaming entertainment can grow without overwhelming the planet’s resources.

Editor’s Note: Originally published July 31, 2021, this article was most recently updated in January 2026.