TikTok’s carbon footprint rivals Greece amid social media emission concerns
The vibrant, addictive world of TikTok, where users spend hours scrolling through bite-sized videos, comes with a hefty environmental cost.
A new analysis reveals that the platform’s annual carbon footprint may surpass that of Greece, with emissions estimated at 50 million metric tonnes of CO2e globally. This makes TikTok one of the most environmentally taxing social media platforms.
According to Greenly, a Paris-based carbon accounting firm, TikTok’s 2023 emissions in the US, UK, and France alone reached 7.6 million metric tonnes of CO2e, outpacing platforms like Twitter and Snapchat.
Despite having nearly half the user base of Instagram, TikTok’s emissions were slightly higher due to longer average usage—45.5 minutes daily compared to Instagram’s 30.6 minutes.
Each TikTok user generates 48.49kg of CO2e annually, equivalent to driving 123 miles in a gasoline car. This figure places TikTok second only to YouTube in emissions per user. The bulk of these emissions stem from energy-intensive data centers, which account for 99% of TikTok’s footprint, along with device charging.
Unlike competitors such as Meta and Google, TikTok has yet to release transparent emissions data. While the platform aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through initiatives like “Project Clover,” progress remains minimal, with only one renewable energy data center established in Norway.
The platform’s future is further complicated by ownership uncertainties. A US court ruling requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest by January 2025. If acquired by a US entity, stricter emission reporting laws may apply.
