Netflix’s CSO quits for new storytelling role

This is corporate and media news rather than something that changes what's available to homeowners planning energy upgrades.

Netflix's Chief Sustainability Officer, Emma Stewart, is leaving the company to join Climate Spring, a group that works to change how climate change shows up in film and TV. Stewart joined Netflix in 2020 and spent her time there pushing climate-related storylines into scripts and building out a "Sustainability Stories Collection" that grew to more than 200 titles shown in 190 countries.

Stewart also oversaw Netflix's own effort to cut emissions. Most of the company's carbon footprint, over 95 percent, comes from indirect sources tied to its productions, including things like the diesel generators used to power film sets. Netflix has pledged to cut the intensity of these emissions by 55 percent between 2019 and 2030, and its most recent report, released in June, shows 14 percent progress so far, which the company calls on track.

At Climate Spring, Stewart will join an organization that trains writers and producers, helps fund early-stage projects, and advises on the climate content within TV and film, working across genres from crime dramas to romantic comedies. The group is currently involved in more than 60 such projects.

None of this changes rebate programs, tax credits, or equipment options for homeowners. It's a personnel move in the entertainment industry, worth noting mainly for anyone tracking how climate topics get woven into popular shows and movies.