Video Streaming Carbon Footprint Calculator
Written by Thierno Sadou Diallo, formula verified per our methodology • Last checked on 9/8/2026
The carbon footprint of video streaming is calculated with viewing hours × 36 g CO2e ÷ 1000 (International Energy Agency, IEA, estimate). Watching 10 hours of streaming video represents about 0.36 kg of CO2e, roughly the equivalent of a few hundred meters driven by car.
Explanation
The carbon footprint of video streaming is a topic where published figures vary enormously: a widely circulated 2019 study by The Shift Project put forward about 1.6 kg of CO2e per hour of streaming, a figure widely repeated in the press. The International Energy Agency (IEA) later published a detailed analysis concluding that this estimate was greatly overstated — by a factor of about 40 — notably because it confused the total throughput of the global internet network with the consumption actually attributable to video streaming. The authors of the original study themselves acknowledged this methodological problem. This calculator therefore uses the IEA's estimate, about 36 grams of CO2e per hour of streaming in standard definition, a value closer to current scientific consensus. This figure nonetheless remains an average: it varies greatly depending on video resolution (4K consumes noticeably more than standard definition), the type of connection (mobile 4G consumes more network energy than fiber), and the electricity mix of the country where it is watched. To compare this footprint with other everyday items, see our trip carbon footprint calculator.
Example: a week of streaming, 10 hours
Inputs
Viewing hours: 10 h.
Calculation
Emissions = (10 × 36) ÷ 1,000 = 360 ÷ 1,000 = 0.36 kg CO2e.
Result
Ten hours of video streaming represents about 0.36 kg of CO2e, per the IEA's estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Why do streaming carbon footprint figures vary so much between sources?
Methodologies differ enormously: some studies (like the one from The Shift Project in 2019, since largely corrected) overestimated network consumption by confusing total internet traffic with the share actually attributable to video streaming. The IEA published a detailed analysis explaining this error, which accounts for the factor-of-40 gap between the two most cited estimates.
Does video resolution (SD, HD, 4K) change the result much?
Yes, noticeably: a 4K video requires a data rate several times higher than standard-definition video, which increases the electricity consumption of data centers and transmission networks. This calculator uses a representative average for standard definition; regular 4K viewing would sit above this estimate.
Is streaming a significant share of an individual's carbon footprint?
Compared with other items such as car or plane travel, or food, video streaming generally remains a marginal share of an individual's carbon footprint, even for heavy use. This does not mean the cumulative effect at a global scale is negligible, but that at a household level, other items (transport, heating, food) typically have a more decisive impact.