Netflix’s Green Shift

Netflix has steadily evolved into a leader in entertainment industry sustainability, pairing ambitious climate initiatives with social impact programs. In line with guidance from frameworks like SASB and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the streaming giant is pursuing aggressive environmental targets and investing in inclusion with a clear, professional approach. 

 

Greening Film and Series Productions

 

One of Netflix’s top environmental priorities is making film and series production more sustainable. Content production generates a significant share of the company’s direct emissions as over two-thirds of Netflix’s operational (Scope 1 and 2) carbon footprint comes from running sets, vehicles, and generators. To tackle this, Netflix has embedded sustainability into on-set operations through clean mobile power and electric vehicles (EVs).

• Clean mobile power: Traditionally, film crews relied on diesel generators for on-location power. Netflix is helping drive an industry shift to cleaner alternatives like battery units and solar rigs. All scripted productions that Netflix directly managed in 2024 used some form of clean mobile power to replace or reduce diesel generator use. Nearly half of these productions cut generator fuel consumption by over 20%, and 15% of productions halved their generator fuel use, curbing both carbon and local air pollution. A recent Western series even became Netflix’s first production to fully power its base camp on solar energy, slashing on-set diesel use by more than 50%.

• EV fleets on set: Netflix is also swapping out gasoline and diesel vehicles with electric and low-emission models wherever possible. In 2024, 98% of Netflix’s directly managed productions worldwide used low-carbon vehicles, and 88% had at least one all-electric vehicle in the mix. The company has piloted electric box trucks and other medium-duty EVs on productions in Los Angeles, New Mexico, Vancouver and the UK. To support this transition, Netflix installs charging infrastructure on-site including DC fast chargers at major studio hubs and deploys mobile EV chargers to temporary filming locations. 

 

“Netflix is committed to decarbonizing our productions and shifting the supply chain towards clean technology,” says Emma Stewart, Netflix Sustainability Officer.

 

💡All Netflix-managed productions now incorporate clean energy solutions. In 2024, 15% of shoots cut diesel generator use by over half thanks to battery packs and solar trailers.

 

Decarbonizing Operations with Clean Energy

 

Beyond the soundstage, Netflix has set rigorous decarbonization targets for its corporate operations and facilities. In 2021 the company established near-term science-based climate goals, including cutting its direct Scope 1 and 2 emissions roughly 50% by 2030 (against a 2019 baseline). Progress has been swift: by 2024, Netflix reported reducing its operational (Scope 1+2) emissions by 46% compared to 2019.

A cornerstone of this effort is transitioning to renewable energy across Netflix’s global operations. The company now powers its offices, studios, and other facilities with 100% renewable electricity, achieved via a combination of on-site solar, local green power agreements, and renewable energy credits (RECs) to match any remaining non-renewable use. Since 2022, Netflix has effectively matched 100% of its global electricity consumption with renewables each year. For example, Netflix’s Albuquerque production campus is installing a 5 MW solar array with 3 MW of battery storage to run entirely on-site clean power by 2025. In the UK, the company’s Longcross studio now sources 100% renewable power through a dedicated agreement, and expanded grid connections there allow productions to plug into clean electricity instead of burning diesel on set.

Netflix also targets fossil fuel use in other operations. It has invested in fleet electrification, energy efficiency upgrades, and cleaner fuels to shrink its carbon output. In 2024, Netflix ran production vehicles and generators on 200,000 gallons of renewable diesel and heated facilities with 60,000 therms of renewable natural gas, cutting emissions relative to conventional fuels. The company also joined the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance and purchased sustainable aviation fuel for corporate air travel, recognizing that zero-emission solutions (like electric aircraft) aren’t yet widely available. These measures, combined with ongoing energy efficiency projects, helped Netflix avoid an estimated 28,500 metric tons of CO₂ emissions in 2024 alone by comparison to business-as-usual.

 

💡Netflix matched 100% of its global electricity use with renewable energy in 2024, maintaining fully renewable-powered operations since 2022.

 

Net Zero + Nature: Climate Goals and Carbon Offsets

 

• Net Zero + Nature sets Netflix to hit net-zero each year from 2022, announced in 2021, with remaining emissions neutralized through high-quality credits; the company reached operational carbon neutrality by late 2022 and continues to offset about 1 million tons of CO₂ annually via verified projects.

• Transparency is routine, with the 2024 ESG report showing 1,037,226 tCO₂e total emissions on a market-based basis; an independent review validated the inventory, and SBTi accounting counted about 75,000 tons in Scopes 1 and 2 due to renewables, with the balance in Scope 3. These figures anchor SBTi-approved targets to cut Scopes 1 and 2 by 46 percent by 2030 and reduce Scope 3 intensity by 27.5 percent by 2030.

• For residual emissions, Netflix follows reduce, retain, remove, investing in efficiency and clean energy, protecting natural sinks, and retiring offsets; in 2024 it retired 1,036,176 tons of CO₂ credits focused on reforestation, improved forest management, and mangrove restoration, and it signed a long-term deal with the American Forest Foundation for an estimated 4.8 million future credits as forests mature.

 

💡In 2024, Netflix offset 1.04 million tons of CO₂, effectively balancing its entire annual carbon footprint – by investing in reforestation and other verified climate projects.

 

Sustainable Streaming and Technology Innovation

 

As a digital entertainment service, Netflix also addresses the environmental impact of streaming and IT operations. Streaming video to hundreds of millions of viewers has a real, if often invisible, carbon footprint, from the power use of data centres and content delivery networks to the energy consumed by user devices. Netflix reports that one hour of streaming on its platform generates “well under 100g” of CO₂, roughly equivalent to driving a gas car a quarter of a mile. Still, at Netflix’s massive scale, those emissions add up, so the company is working with industry partners to minimize them.

A major step is ensuring the electricity behind streaming is renewable. Netflix doesn’t own large data centres; it runs its service on public cloud providers (like Amazon Web Services) and internet infrastructure worldwide. The company therefore advocates for cloud and telecom partners to use clean energy. According to Netflix, both AWS and Netflix itself purchase renewable electricity to power “the infrastructure behind” its streaming platform. In fact, 99% of the electricity powering Netflix’s computing needs in 2024 was from renewable sources. 

On the content delivery side, Netflix continuously optimizes video streaming efficiency, for example, by improving compression so that less data (and energy) is used per view. The company credits such optimizations, along with partners’ efficiency moves, for keeping the carbon footprint of streaming relatively low. Internally, Netflix’s IT footprint (offices, studios, and hardware) is also managed for sustainability. The ESG data show that Netflix’s own tech infrastructure and remaining operations use 100% grid power and 100% is matched by renewables. 

Netflix’s approach illustrates that even a digital-first business must innovate to achieve sustainability. By pushing suppliers toward clean power and fine-tuning its streaming technology, Netflix aims to decouple the growth of its platform from growth in carbon emissions. 

 

Read more: How Swiss Re Is Embracing the Climate Challenge

 

Championing Inclusion and Pay Equity in the Workforce

 

Environmental action is only part of Netflix’s ESG story, the company also emphasizes social impact and inclusion among employees. Netflix’s workforce has grown to ~14,000 people globally, and the company has taken steps to ensure its talent pool reflects the world it entertains. Women now make up roughly 51% of Netflix’s global workforce, including at leadership levels. In the U.S., employees from historically underrepresented racial or ethnic groups comprise about 39% of the workforce (as of 2024) progress, though Netflix acknowledges more work is needed to improve representation of some communities (such as Latinx and Indigenous peoples).

Crucially, Netflix has focused on achieving pay equity across gender and race. Each year the company conducts formal pay studies to check for disparities. The latest data show women at Netflix earn about $0.99 for every $1 men earn in similar roles (adjusted for factors like job level and location), and employees from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds earn about $1.00 for every $1 earned by white peers, essentially full parity. These ratios have held at ~99-100% for the past couple of years, reflecting Netflix’s commitment to equitable compensation. 

 

“Netflix is constantly working to be as equitable and inclusive as possible,” noted Vernā Myers, the company’s former VP of Inclusion Strategy, emphasizing efforts to make all employees feel valued in pay and benefits.

 
In practice, Netflix offers benefits like flexible parental leave (for all parents), transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage, and employee resource groups (18 ERGs as of 2024) to support diverse communities within the company. These efforts contribute to a company culture that strives to empower talent inclusively, echoing Netflix’s public facing diversity in content.

 

💡Netflix’s latest pay equity analysis found women employees earn 0.99:1 relative to men (and underrepresented racial groups earn 1:1 vs. white employees), reflecting near parity in compensation.

 

Investing in Creative Equity and Communities

 

Netflix’s social impact extends beyond its own offices through community investments and industry inclusion programs. In early 2021, the company announced the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, a five-year, $100 million initiative to nurture talent from underrepresented groups in entertainment. 

 

“We will invest $100 million over the next five years in external organizations with a strong track record of setting underrepresented communities up for success in TV and film, as well as bespoke Netflix programs to identify, train and provide job placement for up-and-coming talent globally,” Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at the fund’s launch. 

 

• By end 2024, Netflix deployed about $57 million from the Creative Equity Fund into 300+ programs across 60 countries, reaching over 25,000 people through writer and director training, shadowing and mentorship, and partnerships with film schools and incubators, with 500+ alumni later hired on Netflix productions in roles like producers, editors, and casting assistants.

• Netflix backs communities with capital, starting in 2020-2021 by moving 2% of cash holdings, initially $100 million, into funds and institutions supporting Black communities in the U.S., and expanding this to about $150 million allocated by end 2024 to community development financial institutions and initiatives that close opportunity gaps.

• The company advances economic inclusion through its supply chain, spending $570 million in 2024 with small businesses and suppliers owned by underrepresented groups to direct production and operational dollars toward diverse enterprises.

 

💡Through its Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, the company has invested $57M in nearly 300 programs, reaching 25,000 creatives in 60 countries and helping 500+ participants secure jobs on Netflix productions.

 

A Balanced, Impact-Oriented Approach

 

Netflix’s ESG strategy illustrates a balanced approach to corporate responsibility: aggressive environmental action coupled with meaningful social investments. On the environmental front, Netflix is pioneering ways to cut carbon emissions in an industry known for energy-intensive productions from soundstages running on solar power and batteries, to global offices powered by renewables, to pushing the boundaries of net-zero through credible offsets and climate science alignment. The company’s verified data and annual progress reports back up its climate claims with transparency, avoiding greenwash by openly acknowledging challenges like rising production emissions and the heavy share of Scope 3 emissions. At the same time, Netflix’s social initiatives like strengthening pay equity, building an inclusive workforce, and training the next generation of diverse creatives, reflect an understanding that long-term success comes from empowering people and communities.

Maintaining this momentum will require continuous effort. Cutting emissions further (especially indirect Scope 3 emissions from productions and suppliers) is an ongoing hurdle, and translating diversity gains into sustained representation in leadership and content is a work in progress. By publicly committing to climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement and dedicating significant resources to inclusion, Netflix has set a high bar. The company often references its ambition to “entertain the world” and the responsibility that comes with its cultural influence. In practice, that responsibility is guiding Netflix to shrink its environmental footprint and broaden opportunity in its industry, all while delivering the content that defines its brand. 

As Netflix continues to grow, its ESG commitments will be tested and refined. But the blueprint it has crafted so far: cleaner energy, net-zero emissions, inclusive culture, and creative equity, offers a compelling case study for how a media company can pursue profit and purpose in tandem. Netflix’s experience may well serve as a compass for others in the entertainment field navigating the path to sustainability and social responsibility.

 

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