Media Climate Accord

Uniting the Global Media Industry for a Net-Zero Future

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Introduction: Media’s Moment to Lead on Climate​

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The media and entertainment technology sector is one of the most powerful forces shaping global culture, perception, and action. Yet despite this influence, the industry has lagged other major sectors such as transportation, energy, and cloud infrastructure in setting unified climate goals. According to Cisco, video now accounts for more than 80% of global internet traffic. When paired with energy estimates from the International Energy Agency, this implies that video streaming and associated infrastructure may represent 2–3% of global electricity consumption, a footprint on par with aviation.

Meanwhile, major global broadcast events like the Olympics, World Cup, and Super Bowl serve as peak moments of media influence and energy intensity. These events reach billions of people, yet rarely model environmental responsibility. They offer a highly visible and symbolic opportunity to demonstrate how media can lead on climate.

The Media Climate Accord (MCA) aims to close these gaps. It provides a sector-specific framework that unites content creators, broadcasters, studios, vendors, streamers, and infrastructure providers in a common goal: to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, and to transform the media industry—including its most iconic events—into a beacon of climate innovation, collaboration, and accountability.

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Declaration​

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We, the undersigned organizations, acknowledge the environmental impact of our industry and embrace our responsibility to mitigate it. We believe that a sustainable media and streaming industry is not only an environmental imperative but also a driver of long-term innovation and economic resilience. We invite all who create, process, deliver, and enable media and entertainment technologies to join this commitment. We also recognize the symbolic and logistical power of major global broadcast events and commit to making iconic moments—such as the Olympics, World Cup, Super Bowl, and similar showcases—net-zero events by 2040 or sooner.

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Our Commitment​

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• Achieve a 40% reduction in the energy consumed per hour of streaming by 2030, measured against a 2025 baseline using a standardized methodology.

• Reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, aligned with science-based climate targets.

• Promote open standards for energy and carbon measurement and reporting across the media value chain.

• Collaborate on innovation in energy-efficient tools, cloud workflows, production practices, and content delivery.

• Embed sustainability into the design and operation of production sets, digital platforms, and content distribution systems.

• Share progress publicly through the MCA’s annual benchmarking platform.

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Alignment, Not Redundancy​
 

The MCA is intended to complement existing climate programs by focusing on media-specific workflows, challenges, and innovation areas.

By joining, established climate leaders gain an opportunity for:

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• Sector-specific collaboration across the production and distribution chain

• Influence in shaping standards for carbon and energy measurement in media

• Expanded visibility as an industry climate leader through MCA communications and events

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Segmented Participation Model: A Flexible Framework​
 

Recognizing the diversity of players in the media ecosystem, the MCA is structured around three segments. Signatories commit to at least one, and are encouraged to expand across others over time.

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1. Green Production​

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• Carbon assessment per project (e.g., Albert, Green Production Guide, EcoProd, etc.)

• Use of renewable energy, low-carbon transport, and circular materials

• Sustainable catering, costumes, and waste reduction

• Green-certified studios and climate-trained staff

• Production-level emissions reporting

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2. Efficient Digital Factory​

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• Efficient encoding, transcoding, and workflow design

• Hosting in low-carbon cloud regions or data centers

• Optimized software architectures for energy efficiency

• Vendor assessments for Scope 3 data

• Internal emissions and energy audits of digital operations

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3. Sustainable Distribution​

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• Reducing per-stream energy intensity

• Smarter delivery (adaptive bitrate, efficient buffering)

• Viewer-facing sustainability modes (e.g., Eco-Mode, audio-only)

• CDN and network transparency

• Device-level playback energy optimization

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Signatory Requirements​

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All signatories agree to:​

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• Identify applicable segments of participation

• Use or align with recognized tools (e.g., Albert, DPP, GHG Protocol)

• Submit annual progress reports using MCA templates

• Participate in knowledge-sharing and working groups

• Display MCA branding and share public-facing progress statements

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Call to Action: The Future of Media Depends on What We Do Now​

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The Media Climate Accord is not just a pledge - it’s a movement to realign an industry that shapes how billions of people engage with the world. From creators and coders to broadcasters and cloud engineers your role matters.

Our sector’s growth cannot come at the planet’s expense. We must decouple creativity from carbon, and storytelling from emissions.

The MCA offers a flexible yet rigorous framework for measurable action—backed by science, grounded in collaboration, and designed for impact.

Whether you operate on set, in the cloud, or at the network edge, this is your chance to shape a more resilient and responsible media future.
 

• Join the Accord. Make your pledge. Mobilize your teams.

• Declare your segments, track your progress, share your solutions.

• Create content—and a climate legacy—that endures.

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Sign the Media Climate Accord Today​

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Let’s ensure the story we’re telling is one of climate progress—not climate regret.

 

What Signatories Need to Do​​

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By signing the Media Climate Accord, organizations are committing to climate leadership in the areas where they have the most operational impact. Participation is structured yet flexible, allowing each signatory to contribute meaningfully according to their role in the media value chain.

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Core Responsibilities​​

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• Declare relevant participation segments: Green Production, Efficient Digital Factory, and/or Sustainable Distribution.

• Set internal goals aligned with the Accord’s overarching targets: 40% energy reduction per streaming hour by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2040.

• Complete a baseline sustainability assessment within the first 6–12 months of joining, using recognized tools such as Albert, DPP’s Committed to Sustainability, or GHG Protocol-aligned methods.

• Submit an annual progress report using the MCA’s standard reporting template (segment-specific versions available).

• Engage with at least one MCA working group to share knowledge, develop standards, and foster innovation.

• Publicly communicate participation in the Accord, and display the MCA badge or logo on your organization’s website, sustainability reports, or public communications.

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Support Provided to Signatories​

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• Standard reporting templates and segment-specific guidance.

• Annual benchmarking reports comparing progress across the sector.

• Access to toolkits, working groups, and co-development opportunities.

• Recognition through MCA showcases, speaking slots, and digital badging.

• Communication resources to promote your organization’s climate leadership.

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Pathways for Organizations with Existing Climate Commitments​

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Many media and technology organizations have already established net-zero targets or published verified sustainability strategies. The Media Climate Accord is designed to recognize, complement, and elevate these efforts—not duplicate them.
 

Recognition of Existing Targets​

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Organizations that have previously published net-zero or science-based climate targets may align these with the Accord’s 2040 goal.

Instead of duplicating efforts, these signatories may:

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• Provide their published targets and disclosures in place of the initial MCA baseline assessment

• Map internal reporting frameworks (e.g., CDP, SBTi, internal ESG reports) to MCA’s three-segment structure

• Use existing data to contribute to the Accord’s annual benchmarking efforts