Introducing the PolicyLab: Exploring How Policy Can Drive Energy Efficiency in Streaming

By Barbara Lange

Founder and CEO at Kibo121,

Chair of the Greening of Streaming Policy Lab

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As streaming continues to scale globally, its energy footprint is still described using estimates, averages, and assumptions rather than measured reality. For policymakers and regulators, this reliance on modeled data makes it difficult to design policies that meaningfully reduce energy use. Policy can be a powerful lever, but only when it is informed by how streaming systems actually operate and where energy is truly being consumed in real time.

This gap between estimated impact and measured reality is a key reason Greening of Streaming created the PolicyLab. The PolicyLab is a small, focused working group dedicated to identifying where changes in policy, regulation, or guidance could meaningfully reduce energy consumption in streaming technologies and services. Rather than addressing sustainability in broad or abstract terms, the group concentrates on specific pressure points within the streaming value chain where we expect policy has the potential to influence real-world technical and operational decisions.

Streaming is a complex, distributed system. Energy use is shaped not only by data centers and networks, but also by choices made in delivery architectures, device behavior, content workflows, and user demand. Even factors such as sports rights and viewing patterns influence data caching strategies, which in turn consume energy. Many of these dynamics sit at the intersection of technology and policy, yet policy frameworks often lag behind technical realities or rely on estimates that do not reflect how streaming actually works in practice. The PolicyLab is meant to help close that gap by grounding policy discussions in observed behavior rather than theoretical models alone. Thanks to its WattLab, Greening of Streaming is actively engaged in Realtime Energy Measurements (REM) efforts.

The PolicyLab’s work is deliberately exploratory and collaborative. A small group of Greening of Streaming members bring complementary expertise spanning streaming technology, sustainability, policy, and systems thinking. Together, the group examines where existing policies may unintentionally drive inefficiency, where incentives are misaligned, and where new or adjusted policy approaches could unlock energy savings without compromising service quality or innovation.

This is not a lobbying effort, nor is it about advocating for regulation for its own sake. Instead, the PolicyLab focuses on evidence-based analysis and practical insight, asking questions such as: Where do current policies overlook energy-intensive aspects of streaming? Which decisions are already being shaped by policy, and with what unintended consequences? Where could clearer definitions, better metrics, or more data-informed guidance lead to lower energy use across the system?

Importantly, the PolicyLab operates as a neutral, noncompetitive space. It provides a forum to surface shared challenges, test assumptions, and identify common themes that merit deeper examination across the industry.

This introductory post marks the start of a monthly series that will explore the PolicyLab’s work in more detail. Future posts will focus on specific issues the group is examining, why they matter from an energy perspective, and how policy interventions informed by real-world data could help drive meaningful change. 

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Any Greening of Streaming member is welcome to join the PolicyLab and contribute to this ongoing work.

Current PolicyLab participants include: 

Andrew Ladbrook - Greening of Streaming

Stan Moote - IABM

Marisol Palmero - Greening of Streaming

Agnes Pleinecassagne - EutelSat

Ben Schwarz – Greening of Streaming

Barbara Lange – Kibo121