The role of the internet and streaming industries in exacerbating the effects of climate change

Throughout the past several decades, we have seen the internet play an increasingly prominent role in our lives. In 2022, it is safe to say our lives revolve and operate around the internet and our online presence. The benefits that the digital revolution have provided to humanity are immense. The world, and humanity as a whole is more connected, educated, and skilled than ever before. While it is important to note the many advantages of the internet and the digital age, it is imperative TV2Z addresses the negative effects that the digital age have ushered in with regards to environmental sustainability.

The hidden environmental cost of streaming

In the last decade, the world has seen overall emissions rise significantly. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the focus with regards to carbon emissions was directed towards the effects that the aviation, fashion, and agriculture industries have on the rise in global emissions. However, with much of the world forced to stay home for several weeks or months at a time, many of us directed our attention towards finding alternative ways to entertain ourselves. The answer? Video on Demand (VOD) services.

According to Deloitte, "if the pandemic has accelerated online entertainment, streaming video on-demand (VOD) has certainly enjoyed a boom, with an estimated 21% boost in consumer spending on subscriptions in the first half of 2021." That is just the first half of 2021, not considering the higher percentages when the lockdowns had first begun appearing the year before. We are all streaming online content more than we used to. This fact begs the question, what effect does that have on our environment?

The carbon footprint of video streaming

While the SVOD industry plays a smaller role in the production of greenhouse gases compared to livestock, transportation, and overall electricity production, it would be a disservice to suggest that the industry TV2Z exists in plays little to no role in the overproduction of carbon emissions. We need to be able to acknowledge the roles we as individuals, and companies alike play in the world's carbon footprint. Discussing the environmental impact of the streaming industry is still a new conversation to be had, yet it is an important one.

According to a report by the Carbon Trust, "The European average footprint estimated in this white paper is approximately 55gCO2e per hour of video streaming for the conventional allocation approach." The report continues: "for comparison, the emissions from microwaving a bag of popcorn for four minutes is about 16gCO2e (also using a European average grid emission factor), while driving 100 metres in an average petrol car emits around 22gCO2e."

While this figure may not seem like a lot, understand that most users spend more than an hour on video streaming services, and on top of that, multiply that figure by millions of Europeans who stream video content daily. Consider that this data only concerns the European continent, where less than ten percent of the world population resides.

Working toward sustainable solutions

The evidence is real. There is a problem in this industry, and it needs to be tackled efficiently. The answer is not streaming less content or encouraging users to decrease their screentime. There are many sustainable ways to address these issues and ensure that the media, entertainment, and streaming industries reduce the output of greenhouse gas emissions. Netflix, for example, has released a detailed multi step strategy that includes ways for the company to reduce emissions, retain existing carbon storage, and remove carbon from the atmosphere by funding and incorporating projects that regenerate critical natural ecosystems. Netflix hopes to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this year with their outlined strategies.

Our partnership with Akamai

TV2Z is fully aware of the role it plays in the grand scheme of the overproduction of carbon emissions. One solution that we are proud of, is our relationship with Akamai. Specifically with regards to TV2Z, Akamai supplies us with a Content Delivery Network that assists us in our services. Akamai also provides cybersecurity, web, and internet security services. One of the reasons we are thrilled to work with Akamai is due to their impeccable environmental sustainability policies. Akamai has played a crucial role in ensuring that their services operate on renewable, and energy efficient platforms. Their progress with regards to implementing their sustainability efforts benefit TV2Z, and the planet in the long run.

Energy efficiency with Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services itself has established clear cut efficiency and innovation protocols, with the long-term goal of powering their operations with 100% renewable energy by the year 2025. Amazon Web Services provides us with cloud hosting and storage solutions, along with data storage and content encoding services and storage. They are committed in ensuring that the cloud is energy efficient, and that their power supply is methodical and sustainable. We are committed to partnering, and working with companies who advance our own sustainable goals, and that share a similar vision of how to address the effects of climate change within the industry in a smart and coherent matter.

It takes every single one of us, in both small and big ways, to truly make a difference. Our relationships with Amazon Web Services and Akamai are only one piece of the overall story. We have also produced our own energy and environmental policies that outline ways in which we as a company implement our own cost effective and innovative energy solutions that are designed to improve energy conservation and performance at all TV2Z properties and our services and solutions. We continue to explore avenues to ensure our services and solutions are as sustainable as possible, and to find ways to improve and adapt our energy and environmental policies to better serve the planet in the long run. We acknowledge we have room to improve as a company, and acknowledge there is room for improvement.

A shared responsibility

We only have one Earth, and we must do everything we can to protect it. Every individual, government, and company must act immediately to ensure the survival of our planet. While individual actions are important and noteworthy, it is also up to companies and governments to take meaningful action to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Climate change is not a 'what if?' scenario anymore, it is our current reality. While the effects of climate change are already here, it is not too late to stop the worst effects of it. It is within our reach; we just have to take the extra step. It may not always be easy or comfortable, yet we must ensure future generations have a habitable planet to live and thrive on.