Sustainability in Video Entertainment: 2022 Industry Update

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the earth’s atmosphere have grown exponentially since the 1950s leading to damaging ecological, physical and health impacts worldwide. Seven of these GHGs contribute directly towards climate change: they include carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) – which arguably are the most well-known – alongside hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), nitrous oxide (N2O), hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). Significant emissions of CO2 started during the industrial revolution, when industry demand increased for substantial quantities of non-renewable energy sources, primarily fossil fuels including coal, and later oil and natural gas. The increase in the burning of hydrocarbons for powering industry and, today, generating electricity to support our global energy requirements, has contributed towards increasing CO2 emissions. Since 1750, it is estimated that human activities have emitted over 1,680 gigatonnes of CO2 globally. More alarmingly, due to the recent rapid expansion in population and energy use per capita, more CO2 has been generated during the last 30 years than in the entire 240 years prior to that. Scientists and activists have told of the consequences if action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is not forthcoming. And today, the global energy crisis is forcing governments, industries, and consumers to reconsider our behaviour towards energy generation and use, galvanising actions towards becoming more environmentally sustainable.