TikTok's Carbon emissions rival a nation's output

A massive carbon footprint

In a recent analysis, Greenly - a Paris-based climate consulting firm, revealed that the average TikTok user emits greenhouse gases equivalent to driving a gasoline car an additional 200 kilometers each year. According to The Guardian, TikTok is generating annual carbon emissions that could surpass those of Greece.

On average, TikTok users emit 48.49 kg CO2e (a unit of measurement for the amount of greenhouse gases equivalent to CO2) per year. YouTube users come in second, with 40.17 kg CO2e (equivalent to driving 164 km per year). Instagram users emit 32.52 kg CO2e (equivalent to driving 133 km per year). Due to its massive amount of content and longer average usage time, TikTok users have the highest annual emissions.

Greenly's research shows that TikTok is the social media platform with the highest average emissions per user.

Greenly estimates that TikTok users emitted 7.6 million tons of CO2e (a unit of measurement for the amount of greenhouse gases equivalent to CO2) in the US, UK, and France in 2023. This figure surpasses Twitter/X and Snapchat in the same region.

With the argument that these three markets account for less than 15% of TikTok's global user base, Greenly calculates that the platform's total carbon emissions could be around 50 million tons of CO2e, nearly equaling Greece's total emissions in 2023. This figure does not include office space and employee commuting.

TikTok's highly addictive algorithm, designed to maximize user engagement, is a primary driver of this high carbon footprint. While Instagram users spend an average of 30.6 minutes daily on the app, TikTok users spend a significantly longer 45.5 minutes. "The addictive nature of the platform encourages users to create more and more content, thereby increasing their carbon footprint," said Alexis Normand, CEO of Greenly.

TikTok's lack of Transparency

TikTok's lack of transparency regarding its carbon footprint is a stark contrast to its competitors. While tech giants like Meta and Google publish detailed annual emissions reports, TikTok has remained silent on this issue.

Bên cạnh lượng phát thải cao, các công ty mạng xã hội cũng đưa ra cam kết về nguồn năng lượng sạch dùng cho các trung tâm dữ liệu. Điều tra của Guardian cho biết 4 trong số 5 công ty công nghệ hàng đầu đã sử dụng tín chỉ năng lượng tái tạo bù trừ (Recs) để hạ dữ liệu phát thải trong báo cáo.

In addition to high emissions, social media companies also make commitments to using clean energy for their data centers. A Guardian investigation found that 4 out of 5 top tech companies used renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset their emissions in their reports.

TikTok has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 through its "Project Clover" launched in 2023. However, to date, only one data center entirely powered by renewable energy has been built in Norway, at a cost of 12 billion euros.

Competitors regularly report detailed emissions data and commit to using clean energy for their data centers. However, TikTok has yet to release any public reports on this matter.