Leading entertainment services company Netflix announced the launch of its new Net Zero + Nature plan, including a commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the end of 2022.
According to Netflix, the new climate strategy aligns with the latest guidance from Oxford University and the Science-Based Targets Initiative’s (SBTi) criteria. The company also announced that it has joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, a call to action from a global coalition of UN agencies, business and industry leaders urging companies to commit to set ambitious science-based emissions reduction targets, aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and America Is All In, a broad coalition of leaders in support of climate action in the United States.
Netflix outlined several initiatives it will pursue towards the achievement of its net zero goal. These include commitments to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 45% by 2030, in line with SBTi guidance, and setting a new target to neutralize emissions that it can’t avoid – including Scope 3 emissions – by investing in projects that prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere, starting with conserving at-risk natural areas like tropical forests.
The company also announced plans to remove carbon from the atmosphere through investments in projects that target the regeneration of critical natural ecosystems, such as restoring grasslands, mangroves, and healthy soils, which capture and store carbon.
Netflix stated that while its new targets don’t include emissions from internet transmission or electronic devices used by its members to watch its streaming service, it has joined a research effort called DIMPACT, led by the University of Bristol, that is establishing consensus on how to measure the footprint of streaming and other internet uses. According to DIMPACT’s calculator tool, one hour of streaming on Netflix is well under 100gCO2e, equivalent to driving a gas-powered passenger vehicle a quarter mile.
In a post announcing the new strategy, Netflix Sustainability Officer Emma Stuart said:
“Today, I’m fortunate to be able to combine my love of science and storytelling at Netflix, where we aspire to entertain the world. But that requires a habitable world to entertain. And scientists around the world agree we need to stabilize the climate at no more than a 1.5ºC temperature rise to avoid the worst results of climate change – and ensure healthy life support systems for our children.”
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