Why Broadcasting Needs Real-Time Carbon Intelligence
By Simon Parkinson, Managing Director, Dot Group
The broadcasting industry stands at a crucial crossroads. While sustainability has moved from optional initiative to business imperative, much of our sector is still relying on outdated measurement approaches that limit real environmental impact. Through recent participation in NewscastStudio’s Industry Insights discussions on broadcasting sustainability, it’s become clear we need to fundamentally rethink how we approach carbon management.
This analysis draws from insights shared across three NCS (NewscastStudio) Industry Insights roundtables: “Beyond buzzwords: Measuring real environmental impact in broadcasting“, “Sustainability in broadcasting requires more than a marketing pitch“, and “What sustainability actually looks like in media production workflows“.
The Manual Measurement Problem
The most significant barrier to meaningful sustainability progress isn’t lack of intention—it’s lack of accurate data. Too often, companies rely on manual “checklist” based methods for measuring carbon footprint. This approach is fundamentally flawed.
“It’s not that companies don’t care. It’s that they don’t measure carbon footprint as well as is needed. Currently, this is still too often a manual ‘checklist’ based method. Platforms that require human entry of data will never be real-time nor pinpoint accurate. As a result, the data captured and ensuing actions are slow, incomplete and sub-optimal.”
Simon Parkinson, “Beyond buzzwords: Measuring real environmental impact in broadcasting”
When you’re working with estimates rather than actual measurements, there’s little clear incentive to make meaningful reductions. Without accurate metrics, it’s nearly impossible to verify impact, incentivise reductions, or build credible strategies.
Avoiding the “Too Hard” Areas
One of the most concerning trends is companies avoiding the difficult areas of carbon measurement, particularly around IT infrastructure which are often the largest contributors to carbon consumption.
“We are seeing companies avoid the ‘too hard’ areas, particularly IT server and storage infrastructure, which are often some of the largest contributors to carbon consumption.”
Simon Parkinson, “Sustainability in broadcasting requires more than a marketing pitch”
It’s understandable. These systems are complex, mission-critical, and often poorly understood from an environmental perspective. But this is precisely where the biggest opportunities lie. The full production lifecycle carbon footprint needs to be captured and allocated accurately to specific productions and their full supply chain, including the digital infrastructure that powers everything from content creation to distribution.
The Real-Time Revolution
The solution lies in automated monitoring that provides the minute detail necessary for meaningful optimisation. Unlike manual reporting systems, real-time monitoring enables broadcasters to identify and eliminate waste that traditional methods would miss.
“Automated monitoring of virtual machines and cloud environments provides the minute detail necessary for meaningful optimisation. By implementing real-time monitoring of IT infrastructure, broadcasters can identify and eliminate waste that manual reporting systems would miss.”
Simon Parkinson, “What sustainability actually looks like in media production workflows”
This precision allows for optimisation of resource utilisation, reducing both energy consumption and computing expenses. When sustainability efforts are backed by measurable action and integrated technology, they move from token gestures to systemic change.
Beyond Environmental Benefits
What’s particularly compelling about data-driven sustainability is how it aligns with business objectives. Today’s audiences increasingly expect environmental responsibility from the brands they support.
“Today’s audiences, especially younger viewers, expect environmental responsibility from the brands they support. Sustainable practices signal innovation, ethics, and forward-thinking, which resonate in both B2B and B2C contexts. Internally, it fosters pride and purpose within production teams. Externally, it opens up sponsorship opportunities with eco-conscious brands.”
Simon Parkinson, “Sustainability in broadcasting requires more than a marketing pitch”
The industry is shifting towards recognising that real sustainability efforts must be data-driven and visible across production stages rather than token gestures.
The Path Forward
As productions increasingly utilise cloud environments for workflows, efficiency in these digital resources becomes a critical environmental consideration. The key difference between meaningful sustainability and greenwashing lies in transparency and accountability.
“As productions utilise cloud environments for workflows, efficiency in these digital resources becomes a critical environmental consideration. Real sustainability efforts are data-driven and visible across production stages.”
Simon Parkinson, “What sustainability actually looks like in media production workflows“
When we can accurately capture and allocate carbon footprint across the full production lifecycle, that’s when we’ll see genuine impact.
A Call for Industry Action
The broadcasting industry has the tools and technology to move beyond manual checklists to intelligent, real-time carbon management. What we need now is the collective will to implement these solutions systematically.
By embracing automated monitoring, addressing the difficult areas like IT infrastructure, and demanding accuracy in our environmental reporting, we can transform sustainability from a compliance exercise into a competitive advantage.
The future of broadcasting isn’t just about creating compelling content; it’s about doing so responsibly, transparently, and intelligently. The technology exists. The business case is clear. The time for action is now.
We thank NCS for facilitating these important industry discussions on sustainability in broadcasting.
Simon Parkinson is Managing Director of Dot Group, European specialists in IBM solutions for data management and sustainability. Dot Group helps media companies implement intelligent resource management solutions that reduce both costs and environmental impact.