It’s Earth Day 2026 — and Netflix is using the global day of eco-consciousness to tout progress it has made in cutting its carbon footprint on some original productions.
A large potion of Netflix’s carbon footprint comes from the productions for its films and TV series. Fuel consumed by generators that power equipment and gas-powered vehicles for crew and actor transportation are its biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of its corporate goal of cutting emissions 50% by 2030, Netflix has been progressively transitioning its productions away from fossil fuels to newer technologies to power the productions behind our films and series. Since 2023, all scripted productions that the company directly manages incorporate some form of clean mobile power and electric, plug-in hybrid and/or hybrid vehicles. That has included hydrogen-power units for “Bridgerton”; mobile batteries on “Virgin River”; solar trailers and solar battery systems to “Stranger Things” — and even an entire solar-energy microgrid on “Ransom Canyon” in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“You don’t just snap your fingers and it happens,” says Emma Stewart, who joined Netflix as its first sustainability officer in 2020, about the emissions-reductions targets. “We’ve been chipping away at this over several years.”
Now the streaming giant is boasting about results of three recent productions around the world where it has achieved breakthrough milestones in sustainability: “The Witcher” in the U.K., “The Boroughs” in New Mexico and “Apex” in Australia.
According to Netflix, the fifth and final season of “The Witcher” is its most sustainable production to date — reducing fuel usage by almost 90%, representing a savings of more than 130,000 gallons of fuel. Season 5 of the fantasy series, which stars Liam Hemsworth in the lead role as Geralt of Rivia, was shot over 28 weeks (March-September 2025) mainly in the U.K. and in parts of South Africa. (Netflix hasn’t announced a premiere date for “The Witcher” S5.)
The production took advantage of the Netflix Longcross Studio in Surrey (outside of London), which provided 100% renewable energy grid supply via hydrogen-battery powered generators, along with ultra-rapid charging facilities for electric transportation. In addition, “The Witcher” Season 5 production used a solar-charged battery unit while filming in South Africa to power their trailers.
Mark Birmingham, line producer on “The Witcher,” says the production had a dedicated sustainability adviser trained by Netflix for both seasons 4 and 5, looking at everything from how to cut waste from paper cups to using clean energy. He said Netflix didn’t prescribe specific emissions reductions but, rather, helped producers find ways to do things in more eco-friendly ways.
“It’s fantastic to have Netflix right behind us,” Birmingham says. “I’m not just blowing smoke — I don’t know of another studio that’s embracing sustainable technology like they are.”
The biggest adjustment, according to Birmingham, was to get the cast and crew comfortable with the hydrogen plant at Longcross. “That took some education to let people know how safe and efficient it was,” says Birmingham. “People hear ‘hydrogen’ and they think ‘bomb.’ It’s a very volatile substance. … Hydrogen fire is very difficult to put out.” But the hydrogen power systems are extremely quiet and their only output is water. Diesel generators, by contrast, “are invasive,” Birmingham says. “These things are pumping out fumes, and they’re as loud as 110 decibels.”
In the U.S., the production of “The Boroughs” — executive produced by “Stranger Things” duo Matt and Ross Duffer — cut its reliance on diesel generator fuel usage by more than 75% (saving 13,000 gallons of diesel fuel), making it Netflix’s cleanest production in the States to date.
“The Boroughs,” premiering May 21 on Netflix, was filmed at the company’s studios in Albuquerque and elsewhere in New Mexico. Building off the lessons learned from “Ransom Canyon,” producers for “The Borough” powered its basecamp with solar and accessed grid power through the Albuquerque studios. The production also took advantage of electric and hybrid vehicles and was the first production to pilot electric Shorty 40s, a new electric box truck built for film productions.
Finally, Netflix called out “Apex,” the thriller starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, which debuted April 24. It was the first production ever in Australia to introduce a hydrogen-powered generator for its set. The 100 kilovolt ampere (kVA) hydrogen generator powered the film’s entire unit basecamp and contributed to an overall reduction in diesel generator fuel usage by over 50%, according to Netflix.
Netflix’s Stewart says it’s all contributing toward the goal of reducing the company’s total carbon footprint to roughly 42,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2030. Prior to Netflix, she worked in corporate sustainability roles for 25 years at various in-house jobs, in consulting gigs and at the World Resources Institute think tank.
Netflix has four areas it looks at to reduce emissions: identifying energy-efficiency improvements in offices and studios; transitioning to electric-powered vehicles; adopting clean mobile power (as alternatives to diesel generators); and using renewable electricity and fuels.
for hitting the emissions goals is a three-step process: optimize (to prioritize ); electrify (to replace fossil-fuel vehicles and generators with electric vehicles and new clean mobile power solutions); and decarbonize (to implement renewable energy sources).
“At Netflix, in our culture, it’s about trusting people to do what’s in the best interests of the company,” she says. “So much of it comes down to the line producers.”
An important success factor is replicability, says Stewart. For example, at Longcross Studios, the team from the final season of “The Witcher” can teach the next production that goes in about best practices for sustainability.
Says Birmingham, the “Witcher” producer: “The more people who embrace this, the more the costs come down to make it more affordable. This has to be the way forward.”
Pictured top: Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia on the set of Netflix’s “The Witcher” Season 4
