The carbon management platform Greenly reported that TikTok's annual carbon emissions reach 50 million tons.(Photo: iStock)
Short video platforms are booming globally, but their environmental impact is not to be overlooked. TikTok, a leader in this sector, is reported to emit up to 50 million tons of carbon annually—far exceeding tech giants like Apple.
In response, TikTok is working toward carbon neutrality by 2030. The company is not only building green data centers but also investing in carbon removal technologies as part of its long-term decarbonization plan.
TikTok teams up with Climeworks for carbon removal
On Feb. 19, Swiss carbon capture company Climeworks announced a partnership with TikTok to enhance carbon removal solutions, including direct air capture (DAC), biochar, and reforestation. The goal is to reduce 5,100 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2030.
TikTok's global sustainability chief Ian Gill stated that after careful evaluation of multiple providers, the company chose Climeworks due to its alignment with TikTok's sustainability strategy, furthering its path toward carbon neutrality.
A carbon analysis of five social media platforms—Meta, X, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube—conducted by French carbon management platform Greenly found that TikTok's focus on video content significantly increases energy consumption. Combined with algorithms that boost user engagement, TikTok's carbon emissions have reached an estimated 50 million tons per year. The number far exceedes those of Apple and Google.
Swiss carbon capture company Climeworks has partnered with TikTok to remove 5,100 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2030. (Image: Climeworks)
Energy consumption drives TikTok’s high carbon emissions
TikTok has denied the accuracy of these carbon emission figures but has not released its own data. Its parent company, ByteDance, has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, aiming to reduce at least 90% of its operational emissions, with the remaining 10% offset by carbon credits.
Since most of ByteDance's emissions come from its global data centers, transitioning to renewable energy is a key step in decarbonizing its operations. According to ByteDance’s 2023 corporate social responsibility report, its data centers now use over 1 billion kilowatt-hours of wind and solar power, with the average power usage effectiveness (PUE) falling to 1.15.
Despite its data centers being located across Asia, America, and Europe, only one—operated by Green Mountain in Hamar, Norway—currently runs entirely on renewable energy. ByteDance has not clarified whether its upcoming data centers in Malaysia and Thailand will use renewable power.
While ByteDance emphasizes green office practices, it has not provided details on the effectiveness of its other decarbonization efforts. Compared to other Chinese tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent, ByteDance has been slower to respond to climate action and renewable energy trading.
Source: Carbon Herald, Greenly, Climeworks, Bytedance, Wallstreetcn
