Carbon Footprint of Zoom
IdleForest models one hour of Zoom use at about 50g of CO2.
A Zoom call can avoid travel emissions, but it still has a carbon footprint of its own. If you're estimating Zoom call emissions, the main factors are meeting length, participant count, camera use, and the device each person joins from.
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How this Zoom estimate is built
The Zoom estimate reflects one hour of video calling per participant and is shaped by both the streaming layer and the device handling the meeting.
- Video calls increase network traffic compared with audio-only calls, especially when cameras stay on for the full meeting.
- Participant count matters because each extra video stream adds more processing, transmission, and device energy use.
- Turning video off, lowering resolution, or using efficient hardware can reduce the hourly footprint.
Calculation proof
How the estimate is calculated
Annual footprint formula
50g CO2e/hour x 3h/day x 365 / 1000 = 54.8kg CO2e/year
Tree offset formula
ceil(54.8kg CO2e / 20 kg CO2e per tree-year) = 3 rounded up
Source basis: This estimate combines the app's modeled hourly footprint, usage assumption, methodology notes, and linked research sources. It is directional and should be read as a transparent consumer estimate, not a vendor emissions disclosure.
What drives this estimate most
- Video, screen sharing, and participant count all change the intensity of online work tools.
- Background browser and app activity can keep the system drawing power even outside meetings.
- Meeting-heavy workflows create both device-side and network-side overhead.
Assumptions and boundaries
- The estimate reflects active use rather than an app left open but unused.
- It is built to compare common digital work behaviors, not to audit a specific office setup.
- It includes both the device and the infrastructure supporting the session.
Uncertainty note: Work-tool emissions depend heavily on call quality, participant count, device efficiency, and how much multitasking happens during the session.
Yearly Impact Comparison
*IdleForest offsets ~200kg CO2/year on average per user.
Ways to reduce this footprint
- Turn video off when it is not necessary for the meeting outcome.
- Reduce meeting length and unnecessary participants when possible.
- Close heavy browser tabs and background tools during focused work.
Estimate review
Who reviewed this estimate
Reviewed by: IdleForest Research Team
Role: Editorial Review
Organization: IdleForest
Last reviewed: May 10, 2026
These estimates are meant to help compare digital habits. They are directional, not exact reproductions of proprietary vendor accounting.
Sources
Nature Communications: The environmental sustainability of digital content consumption
Peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment covering web use, social media, video, music streaming, and video conferencing.
IEA: Data centres and data transmission networks
Provides broader context on the infrastructure behind cloud and network energy use.
MIT CEEPR: How much can we reduce CO2 by planting trees?
Supports the offset conversion used by IdleForest: roughly 20kg CO2 absorbed per mature tree per year, with wide real-world variation.
More questions about Zoom's carbon footprint
How much CO2 does a Zoom call produce?
A standard video call generates about 50g of CO2 per hour per participant. This increases with higher video quality and more participants.
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About IdleForest
IdleForest is a desktop app that plants trees in the background while your computer is idle. It uses your unused internet bandwidth to fund reforestation projects.
✓Free to use
✓No account required
✓Open source