Streaming Video Carbon Footprint: How Much CO₂ Does Netflix Use?

Lifestyle · Updated March 2026 · 6 min read

Watching 1 hour of streaming video produces roughly 36–55 grams of CO₂, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). That means a year of streaming 2 hours per day adds up to about 25–40 kg CO₂ — roughly the same as driving 160 km. Contrary to viral claims, streaming is not a major climate problem. The entire global internet accounts for approximately 1–2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, and video streaming is only a fraction of that.

Emissions Per Hour of Streaming

The actual carbon cost depends heavily on your device and resolution. Here is what the research shows:

Note that the largest variable is often your end device, not the data center. Streaming on a large OLED TV uses far more energy in the screen itself than in transmitting the video.

Debunking the Viral Claim

In 2019, The Shift Project published a widely shared report claiming that watching 30 minutes of Netflix was equivalent to driving 6 km, and that global streaming produced approximately 300 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. This number was wrong.

The IEA investigated the claim and found the error: The Shift Project had overestimated the energy per gigabyte of data by a factor of 10 or more. The corrected figure for global streaming is approximately 10–30 million tonnes of CO₂ — still meaningful, but roughly 1% of what the original report claimed.

For context:

• Global aviation: ~1 billion tonnes CO₂ per year
• Global streaming video: ~10–30 million tonnes CO₂ per year
• Global internet total (all traffic): ~300–400 million tonnes CO₂ per year

Streaming video is a small slice of the internet, which is itself a small slice of global emissions.

Where Does the Energy Go?

When you press play on a video, three systems consume energy:

• Data centers (~25%): Servers store and encode video files. Large platforms like Netflix use highly efficient infrastructure. Netflix's Open Connect program caches content at local points of presence, reducing the distance data travels and cutting network energy use.
• Network transmission (~25%): Routers, switches, and cell towers move data from the server to your device. This varies significantly depending on whether you use WiFi or mobile data.
• Your device (~50%): The screen and processor in your phone, laptop, or TV consume the most energy. A 55-inch TV draws 60–100 watts; a phone draws 2–5 watts. Device choice matters more than streaming quality.

What You Can Actually Do

If you want to reduce the carbon footprint of your streaming habits, here are the most effective actions — ranked by impact:

1. Use WiFi instead of mobile data. WiFi is roughly 10 times more energy-efficient per gigabyte than cellular networks. This is the single biggest lever for network-related emissions.
2. Turn off autoplay. If you leave Netflix playing while you fall asleep, that is unnecessary energy use. Autoplay on YouTube has the same effect.
3. Lower resolution on small screens. Watching 4K on a phone makes almost no visible difference but quadruples data transfer compared to SD. Set your default to 720p or 1080p on mobile.
4. Use a smaller screen when possible. A laptop or tablet uses far less energy than a large TV.

But here is the honest take: streaming is low priority compared to transport, food, and home energy. One transatlantic flight produces more CO₂ than streaming video for an entire year. Focus your climate efforts where they will have the most impact.

FAQ

Is streaming Netflix worse for the environment than driving?

No. An hour of HD streaming produces roughly 36–55 g CO₂. Driving a typical car for one hour at highway speed produces roughly 8,000–12,000 g CO₂. They are not in the same category. The viral comparison claiming "30 minutes of Netflix equals 6 km of driving" was based on a mathematical error that has been widely debunked.

Does pausing or stopping a video save significant energy?

Not really. When you pause a video, the data center and network stop transmitting, but your device continues consuming energy. The biggest savings come from turning off the screen entirely, not from pausing content.

Are video calls worse than streaming video?

They can be. A group video call on Zoom or Teams with many participants can use more data and processing power than watching a standard video stream. However, a one-on-one video call at 720p is roughly comparable to HD streaming. If you want to cut emissions from calls, turn off your camera when you do not need to be on screen.