In April last year, the entertainment giant announced that it would become climate neutral by 2022. Johan Rockström, professor of environmental science and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, was in connection with that elected to Netflix's external sustainability council as one of several experts to monitor how the company works with the climate goals.

Netflix has developed its emission reduction targets according to so-called Science based targets, a method that helps companies set scientifically based climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement.

Until 2030, they have committed to reducing emissions by 45% compared to 2019.

Would become carbon dioxide neutral

To compensate for the emissions that remain, Netflix spends money on various types of environmental investments to create carbon sinks, for example the preservation of mangrove forests in Colombia.

By offsetting its emissions in this way, Netflix meant that it could call itself carbon dioxide neutral by the end of 2022.

But this has not been successful, according to Johan Rockström.

- Netflix is ​​not at net zero.

It is simply a bigger challenge than expected.

They are unable to reduce emissions at the rate required.

They also haven't been able to find enough investments in natural carbon storage, he says.

Netflix does not want to be interviewed, but writes in an email to Kulturnyheterna that it does not know if the net zero goal has been achieved yet, and that the company will publish more information about this in its upcoming sustainability report in June.

According to the company's latest sustainability report from 2021, it released about 1.5 million tons of greenhouse gases that same year.

This is an increase of half a ton compared to the previous year.

According to the report, the increase is due to the many recordings that had to be postponed during the corona year 2020. A majority of the emissions come from electricity and fuel in connection with television productions.

“Need to skimp”

Johan Rockström believes that Netflix should get out more in the political debate and hold talks with governments to push for the expansion of charging posts, offshore wind power and other green energy.

- It is worrying that even one of the most ambitious companies like Netflix, which makes, what I perceive as serious attempts to reach the climate goals, is not able to do it.

I see it as proof that companies cannot cope with this transition completely alone.