Environment

Carbon Neutral by 2035

We are committed to fostering a cleaner, healthier environment. That’s why we’ve set a goal to be carbon neutral by 2035 for Scope 1 and 2 emissions across our global operations.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve already made, reducing our 2021 emissions 19% over 2020. We have the roadmap to carbon neutral, and we’re letting it guide us to a better, more sustainable future.

19%

Emissions reduced from our operations in 2021

Carbon Footprint Data Report

Scope 1 and Scope 2 market-based

To provide transparency and help drive improvement, we are reporting data using the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol consistent with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) frameworks. We have partnered with a leading consulting firm to guide us through this and help further develop our reporting and estimation approach.

Reducing Emissions

Our goal to become carbon neutral by 2035 starts with reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. With purchased electricity accounting for the majority of our emissions, we are taking action to invest in clean, renewable energy. This means shifting to solar, wind, and other clean sources of electricity.

In 2021, we signed Comcast’s first large-scale renewable energy agreement to purchase 250 megawatts of solar electricity that will power approximately 12% of our current U.S. operations with clean, renewable energy beginning in 2025. It marks the first of many major investments in renewables that are already underway or on the immediate horizon.

For our second largest source of operational emissions – our owned and operated fleet – we are piloting electric and hybrid vehicles, working with drivers to reduce idle time, and installing telematics and fuel efficiency technology to reduce vehicle emissions. In 2021, Universal Studios Hollywood debuted the first four electric trams in its fleet of 21 Studio Tour trams.

Network Efficiency

Sourcing renewable electricity is essential to delivering a low-carbon network. So is driving network efficiency and resiliency. This means shifting to newer, more energy-efficient technologies, facilities, and systems across the thousands of miles of our network.

Powering our nationwide network drives significant electricity consumption, but investments in innovation, software, AI, and other virtual and physical critical infrastructure are enabling us to grow the capacity of our network while achieving efficiency gains, decreasing the company’s energy consumed per terabyte of data nearly 30% from 2019 to 2021.

We know that a reliable network is a resilient one. Our customers depend on us for access to crucial information every hour, every day. That’s why our teams are working simultaneously to both manage risk and harden the network to minimize service disruptions during extreme weather and other crises.

Products & Packaging

We constantly raise the bar to meet not only the expectations of our customers, but the needs of the future. Our commitment to sustainable innovation includes designing environmentally friendly products and packaging that improve the entertainment experience, save our customers energy and money, and lower our impact on the planet.

Many people may not think of reducing energy use while watching TV, but we do. In 2021, Sky Glass was introduced as the world’s first TV certified as a CarbonNeutral® product. The smart-streaming TV integrates all hardware, software, and Sky Inside content into a single device, helping customers reduce electricity use compared to having separate devices.

We are innovating our packaging to be more environmentally conscious and user-friendly. In 2021, Comcast introduced The Xfinity Eco Capsule™, a 100% recyclable and reusable modular packaging system for select Xfinity Video and Internet products. The patent-pending package is made with renewable, Forest Stewardship Council-certified materials such as responsibly sourced bamboo, sugarcane, paper and soy ink.

Comcast aims to recycle or divert cable equipment waste from landfills through internal e-waste management programs that require our recycling business partners to be Responsible Recycling (“R2”) certified. In 2021, Comcast Cable partnered with Echo Environmental to recycle coaxial cables at the end of their lifecycle, helping to significantly reduce landfill waste and bring our cable and coax waste into the circular economy.

Storytelling & Production

Environmental stewardship extends from the set to the screen through our responsible production practices and compelling storytelling that showcase the possibilities of a more sustainable future.

NBCUniversal leverages the reach of our programming and personalities to spotlight pressing climate challenges facing our world. Through TODAY Climate, Al Roker takes a deep dive look into climate changes, extremes, strategies and solutions.

The NBCUniversal Sustainable Production Program empowers production teams to integrate environmental best practices into on-set protocols for NBCUniversal film and TV productions. Over 70 productions across our film and TV portfolio participate each year, including the 2022 Focus Feature film, “Downton Abbey: A New Era.”

All of Sky Studios’ teams are reducing their carbon footprint as part of Sky’s commitment to be Net Zero by 2030. Certified by albert, the organization leading the U.K. TV and film industry in the charge against climate change, all U.K.-commissioned Sky productions have been carbon neutral since 2019, and all Sky Sports U.K. host outside broadcasts have been carbon neutral since January 2021. Sky Sports News channel has also now become a carbon neutral production.

In 2021, Sky signed on as a principal partner and media partner of COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, where Sky Group CEO Dana Strong co-presented a study designed to help content creators and broadcasters inspire viewers to take action to address climate change.