Sustainability In The Media Industry Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Sustainability In The Media Industry Statistics

Data centers are expected to drive a 20% jump in electricity demand by 2026 while the ICT sector still accounts for 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making climate arithmetic impossible to ignore for streaming and digital media. This page connects the policy and practice shifts shaping the industry, from CSRD and green claims rules to carbon aware scheduling and renewable procurement, so sustainability stops being a headline and becomes measurable operational choices.

38 statistics38 sources12 sections10 min readUpdated 8 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

1.8 million terajoules of energy were consumed by the information and communications technology (ICT) sector globally in 2022, quantifying the footprint relevant to digital media operations

Statistic 2

The Alliance for Water Stewardship reported 2022 that water consumption for ICT cooling is significant; IEA quantifies water use trends for data centers in its report

Statistic 3

1.3 billion metric tons of CO2e were estimated to be associated with the global ICT sector in 2022, highlighting the broader climate relevance for media tech stacks

Statistic 4

Netflix reported using 100% renewable energy for its operations in 2023 (electricity use), as stated in its annual Impact Report

Statistic 5

Apple reported that its global operations are powered by 100% renewable energy, providing a reference point for device and platform sustainability footprints

Statistic 6

Warner Bros. Discovery reported total greenhouse gas emissions of 46.9 million metric tons CO2e for 2023 (company disclosure), giving a large-audience media footprint benchmark

Statistic 7

In 2023, the IEA estimated that demand-side energy efficiency improvements can reduce global electricity demand growth by about 30% by 2030, supporting the case for greener media technologies

Statistic 8

In 2023, the Internet Archive estimated that data centers can reduce emissions through improved efficiency and that improving PUE lowers electricity and emissions; IEA defines PUE meaning

Statistic 9

Companies in the EU face CSRD reporting obligations for financial years starting on or after 1 January 2024 for certain entities, expanding sustainability reporting in the media value chain

Statistic 10

The EU Taxonomy climate-related screening criteria expanded in 2023 via Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 and amendments, affecting which activities can be classified as sustainable

Statistic 11

The EU adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in December 2022, mandating sustainability reporting for large companies and listed SMEs

Statistic 12

The European Commission’s Digital Services Act (DSA) entered into force in November 2022, affecting how platforms may present and moderate content (relevant to sustainability misinformation)

Statistic 13

The EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive sustainability-related obligations were updated in 2018 (Directive (EU) 2018/1808), informing media service compliance

Statistic 14

The EU Green Claims Directive proposal targeted misleading environmental claims and entered into finalization in 2024, affecting how media can portray sustainability claims

Statistic 15

In 2023, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology funded initiatives addressing Green Digitalisation, including for media tech stacks

Statistic 16

In 2023, the EU’s Digital Markets Act entered into force, influencing platform competition and potentially affecting ad ecosystem incentives for sustainability measurement

Statistic 17

In 2023, the EU AI Act was adopted, enabling future sustainability reporting and enforcement impacts; adoption date provides regulatory certainty

Statistic 18

Comscore reported digital ad impressions growth of 7% year-over-year in 2023 (US), increasing the need for sustainability considerations in ad tech and delivery

Statistic 19

In the UK, 62% of publishers reported taking steps to reduce environmental impact in 2022 (industry survey), showing adoption of sustainability practices

Statistic 20

24% of households in the UK reported using streaming services weekly in a 2023 survey (usage metric), linking audience behavior to streaming-related energy and network impacts

Statistic 21

Paper and board recycling rate in the EU was 82.2% in 2022 (Eurostat), relevant to newspaper, magazine, and publishing materials

Statistic 22

In 2023, 72% of people reported they want media companies to help them understand climate change, reflecting content demand

Statistic 23

The EU’s Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2808 specifies GHG reporting for electricity suppliers and is used in energy disclosure contexts relevant to media operations

Statistic 24

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard is used by thousands of companies to quantify emissions; it was updated in 2004 as first release (baseline) and remains widely referenced

Statistic 25

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2021 standards were published in 2021 and include disclosure topics that many media companies adopt for sustainability reporting

Statistic 26

Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) reached 2,000+ companies with near-term targets by 2023, indicating broad corporate uptake relevant to media advertisers’ sustainability claims

Statistic 27

In 2023, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reported that broadcasters are increasingly adopting sustainable production practices; EBU’s Green Toolkit was released with measurable guidance for productions

Statistic 28

20% increase in electricity demand from data centers by 2026 is expected in the IEA’s Stated Policies Scenario (worldwide electricity demand attributable to data centers rising sharply), underscoring scaling pressures for digital services that include media streaming and hosting

Statistic 29

In 2024, Netflix reported 260.28 million paid memberships globally in Q1 2024 (company quarterly disclosure), indicating streaming footprint scale

Statistic 30

In 2024, the W3C published Web Performance and energy guidance showing that reducing JavaScript can cut energy use; vendor study cited reductions of up to 20%

Statistic 31

31% of global electricity generation is from renewable sources in 2023 (share of generation), indicating the average-grid decarbonization potential for powering internet and media services

Statistic 32

58% of organizations reported using renewable electricity or having renewable energy procurement targets (survey metric), relevant to decarbonizing power for data centers and broadcast/streaming infrastructure

Statistic 33

9% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the ICT sector (share), providing a widely cited baseline for the climate relevance of digital-media and communications infrastructure

Statistic 34

13% of global electricity consumption is attributed to data transmission (share), relevant to the network portion of streaming and other digital media delivery

Statistic 35

25% reduction in energy can be achieved by optimizing encoding settings in video workflows (reported experimental finding), indicating a concrete lever for greener production and delivery

Statistic 36

5.2% of global corporate electricity procurement is estimated to be from renewables via renewable power agreements in 2023 (market estimate), indicating ongoing decarbonization of power used for digital operations

Statistic 37

82% recycling rate for paper and paperboard in the EU in 2022 (EU recycling rate for paper and paperboard), relevant to sustainability impacts of print and publishing supply chains

Statistic 38

40% of surveyed organizations said they use carbon-aware scheduling for workloads where available (survey metric), relevant to shifting media rendering/transcoding and batch tasks to lower-carbon periods

Sources
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Gabrielle Fontaine

Written by Gabrielle Fontaine·Edited by Elif Demirci·Fact-checked by Sarah Mitchell

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 14, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

By 2026, electricity demand from data centers is expected to rise by 20 percent, even as more of the grid goes renewable, creating a sharp tension for sustainability in streaming and ad delivery. Behind that pressure are measurable impacts and tightening rules, from CSRD reporting requirements to guidance on greener web performance and verified claims about the environment. Let’s map the media value chain from power use to carbon accounting and see where the biggest wins and bottlenecks actually sit.

Key Takeaways

  • 1.8 million terajoules of energy were consumed by the information and communications technology (ICT) sector globally in 2022, quantifying the footprint relevant to digital media operations
  • The Alliance for Water Stewardship reported 2022 that water consumption for ICT cooling is significant; IEA quantifies water use trends for data centers in its report
  • 1.3 billion metric tons of CO2e were estimated to be associated with the global ICT sector in 2022, highlighting the broader climate relevance for media tech stacks
  • Companies in the EU face CSRD reporting obligations for financial years starting on or after 1 January 2024 for certain entities, expanding sustainability reporting in the media value chain
  • The EU Taxonomy climate-related screening criteria expanded in 2023 via Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 and amendments, affecting which activities can be classified as sustainable
  • The EU adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in December 2022, mandating sustainability reporting for large companies and listed SMEs
  • Comscore reported digital ad impressions growth of 7% year-over-year in 2023 (US), increasing the need for sustainability considerations in ad tech and delivery
  • In the UK, 62% of publishers reported taking steps to reduce environmental impact in 2022 (industry survey), showing adoption of sustainability practices
  • 24% of households in the UK reported using streaming services weekly in a 2023 survey (usage metric), linking audience behavior to streaming-related energy and network impacts
  • Paper and board recycling rate in the EU was 82.2% in 2022 (Eurostat), relevant to newspaper, magazine, and publishing materials
  • In 2023, 72% of people reported they want media companies to help them understand climate change, reflecting content demand
  • The EU’s Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2808 specifies GHG reporting for electricity suppliers and is used in energy disclosure contexts relevant to media operations
  • The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard is used by thousands of companies to quantify emissions; it was updated in 2004 as first release (baseline) and remains widely referenced
  • The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2021 standards were published in 2021 and include disclosure topics that many media companies adopt for sustainability reporting
  • Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) reached 2,000+ companies with near-term targets by 2023, indicating broad corporate uptake relevant to media advertisers’ sustainability claims

ICT already drives major electricity, CO2e, and water use, so greener media tech and reporting are urgent.

Related reading

Energy & Emissions

11.8 million terajoules of energy were consumed by the information and communications technology (ICT) sector globally in 2022, quantifying the footprint relevant to digital media operations[1]
Verified
2The Alliance for Water Stewardship reported 2022 that water consumption for ICT cooling is significant; IEA quantifies water use trends for data centers in its report[2]
Verified
31.3 billion metric tons of CO2e were estimated to be associated with the global ICT sector in 2022, highlighting the broader climate relevance for media tech stacks[3]
Verified
4Netflix reported using 100% renewable energy for its operations in 2023 (electricity use), as stated in its annual Impact Report[4]
Directional
5Apple reported that its global operations are powered by 100% renewable energy, providing a reference point for device and platform sustainability footprints[5]
Verified
6Warner Bros. Discovery reported total greenhouse gas emissions of 46.9 million metric tons CO2e for 2023 (company disclosure), giving a large-audience media footprint benchmark[6]
Verified
7In 2023, the IEA estimated that demand-side energy efficiency improvements can reduce global electricity demand growth by about 30% by 2030, supporting the case for greener media technologies[7]
Verified
8In 2023, the Internet Archive estimated that data centers can reduce emissions through improved efficiency and that improving PUE lowers electricity and emissions; IEA defines PUE meaning[8]
Verified

Energy & Emissions Interpretation

In the Energy and Emissions lens, the data shows ICT tied to 1.3 billion metric tons of CO2e in 2022 while targeted efficiency gains could cut projected global electricity demand growth by about 30% by 2030, and major streaming and device companies using 100% renewable energy in recent years underscores how decarbonizing media operations is both urgent and achievable.

Regulation & Policy

1Companies in the EU face CSRD reporting obligations for financial years starting on or after 1 January 2024 for certain entities, expanding sustainability reporting in the media value chain[9]
Single source
2The EU Taxonomy climate-related screening criteria expanded in 2023 via Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 and amendments, affecting which activities can be classified as sustainable[10]
Single source
3The EU adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in December 2022, mandating sustainability reporting for large companies and listed SMEs[11]
Directional
4The European Commission’s Digital Services Act (DSA) entered into force in November 2022, affecting how platforms may present and moderate content (relevant to sustainability misinformation)[12]
Verified
5The EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive sustainability-related obligations were updated in 2018 (Directive (EU) 2018/1808), informing media service compliance[13]
Verified
6The EU Green Claims Directive proposal targeted misleading environmental claims and entered into finalization in 2024, affecting how media can portray sustainability claims[14]
Verified
7In 2023, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology funded initiatives addressing Green Digitalisation, including for media tech stacks[15]
Verified
8In 2023, the EU’s Digital Markets Act entered into force, influencing platform competition and potentially affecting ad ecosystem incentives for sustainability measurement[16]
Directional
9In 2023, the EU AI Act was adopted, enabling future sustainability reporting and enforcement impacts; adoption date provides regulatory certainty[17]
Verified

Regulation & Policy Interpretation

For the Regulation & Policy angle, the EU is rapidly tightening sustainability expectations across the media value chain as CSRD starts for financial years on or after 1 January 2024 and is now backed by an expanding climate taxonomy and newer platform and AI rules that entered into force or were adopted between 2022 and 2023.

More related reading

User Adoption

1Comscore reported digital ad impressions growth of 7% year-over-year in 2023 (US), increasing the need for sustainability considerations in ad tech and delivery[18]
Verified
2In the UK, 62% of publishers reported taking steps to reduce environmental impact in 2022 (industry survey), showing adoption of sustainability practices[19]
Verified
324% of households in the UK reported using streaming services weekly in a 2023 survey (usage metric), linking audience behavior to streaming-related energy and network impacts[20]
Verified

User Adoption Interpretation

User Adoption is accelerating as publishers and audiences bring sustainability into everyday media use, with 62% of UK publishers already taking steps to cut environmental impact in 2022 and streaming expanding to 24% of UK households using it weekly in 2023, alongside US digital ad impressions rising 7% year over year in 2023.

Waste & Circularity

1Paper and board recycling rate in the EU was 82.2% in 2022 (Eurostat), relevant to newspaper, magazine, and publishing materials[21]
Verified

Waste & Circularity Interpretation

In Waste and Circularity, the EU’s paper and board recycling rate reached 82.2% in 2022, showing that most newspaper, magazine, and other publishing materials are being recovered back into circulation.

Consumer Behavior

1In 2023, 72% of people reported they want media companies to help them understand climate change, reflecting content demand[22]
Verified

Consumer Behavior Interpretation

In 2023, 72% of people said they want media companies to help them understand climate change, showing that consumer demand is directly shaping how sustainability content should be delivered.

More related reading

Reporting & Disclosure

1The EU’s Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2808 specifies GHG reporting for electricity suppliers and is used in energy disclosure contexts relevant to media operations[23]
Verified
2The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard is used by thousands of companies to quantify emissions; it was updated in 2004 as first release (baseline) and remains widely referenced[24]
Verified
3The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2021 standards were published in 2021 and include disclosure topics that many media companies adopt for sustainability reporting[25]
Verified

Reporting & Disclosure Interpretation

In the Reporting and Disclosure angle, major frameworks are converging, with the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard still widely used since its 2004 baseline update, while the EU’s Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2808 and the GRI 2021 standards add more detailed, 2021-era emissions and disclosure requirements that many media companies can directly build into their reporting.

More related reading

Market Size

1In 2024, Netflix reported 260.28 million paid memberships globally in Q1 2024 (company quarterly disclosure), indicating streaming footprint scale[29]
Single source

Market Size Interpretation

In Q1 2024 Netflix alone reported 260.28 million paid memberships globally, underscoring the massive market scale of sustainability efforts in the media industry driven by streaming’s vast subscriber footprint.

Performance Metrics

1In 2024, the W3C published Web Performance and energy guidance showing that reducing JavaScript can cut energy use; vendor study cited reductions of up to 20%[30]
Verified

Performance Metrics Interpretation

In 2024, W3C’s web performance and energy guidance highlighted that cutting JavaScript can reduce energy use, with vendor studies showing reductions of up to 20%, reinforcing how performance metrics can directly drive sustainability outcomes.

Emissions & Energy

131% of global electricity generation is from renewable sources in 2023 (share of generation), indicating the average-grid decarbonization potential for powering internet and media services[31]
Verified
258% of organizations reported using renewable electricity or having renewable energy procurement targets (survey metric), relevant to decarbonizing power for data centers and broadcast/streaming infrastructure[32]
Verified
39% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the ICT sector (share), providing a widely cited baseline for the climate relevance of digital-media and communications infrastructure[33]
Verified
413% of global electricity consumption is attributed to data transmission (share), relevant to the network portion of streaming and other digital media delivery[34]
Verified
525% reduction in energy can be achieved by optimizing encoding settings in video workflows (reported experimental finding), indicating a concrete lever for greener production and delivery[35]
Verified
65.2% of global corporate electricity procurement is estimated to be from renewables via renewable power agreements in 2023 (market estimate), indicating ongoing decarbonization of power used for digital operations[36]
Directional

Emissions & Energy Interpretation

For the Emissions & Energy angle, the data shows real decarbonization momentum with 31% renewable electricity generation in 2023 alongside 58% of organizations using renewable power or setting procurement targets, even as ICT still accounts for 9% of global greenhouse gas emissions and data transmission drives 13% of global electricity consumption.

More related reading

Materials & Waste

182% recycling rate for paper and paperboard in the EU in 2022 (EU recycling rate for paper and paperboard), relevant to sustainability impacts of print and publishing supply chains[37]
Single source

Materials & Waste Interpretation

In the Materials and Waste category, the EU’s 82% recycling rate for paper and paperboard in 2022 shows that a large share of print and publishing materials can be kept in circulation, reducing the amount of waste entering landfills and incineration.

Industry Adoption

140% of surveyed organizations said they use carbon-aware scheduling for workloads where available (survey metric), relevant to shifting media rendering/transcoding and batch tasks to lower-carbon periods[38]
Single source

Industry Adoption Interpretation

In the Industry Adoption category, 40% of surveyed organizations report using carbon-aware scheduling, indicating that a meaningful share of the media sector is already shifting compute-heavy rendering and batch workloads to lower-carbon periods when options are available.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Media Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-media-industry-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Sustainability In The Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-media-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Sustainability In The Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-media-industry-statistics.

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