Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Is the emissions impact of growing streaming video usage offset by gains in energy efficiency?

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

By Allegra Taylor

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YES

Use of online video continues to grow, but its emissions impact is offset by cleaner energy sources and increased efficiency. The International Energy Agency noted in 2017 that a tripling in data center workloads required a 3% gain in energy consumption. Another study found that energy required for internet transmission falls 50% every two years.

Thus, a 2014 estimate that 30 minutes of streaming creates 200 grams of carbon emissions overstates the current impact. (A typical car emits 8,887 grams of carbon dioxide from one gallon of gasoline, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.) For Netflix and its rivals streaming costs are "becoming minimal," a Columbia University researcher told Mashable, an online news site.

In total, information and communications technology account for around 2% of global emissions.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

International Energy Agency: Digitalization and energy

Wiley: Electricity intensity of internet transmissions

IOP Science: Greenhouse gas implications of video streaming

EPA: Passenger vehicle greenhouse gas emissions

Nature: Energy use from data centers

Mashable: Carbon emissions from streaming video

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.