Environmental and sustainability documentaries you can watch in Canada

By Ivan Chen

Documentaries are a great way to learn about the importance of protecting the planet. (Credit: KIMDAEJEUNG/Pixabay)

As conversations about climate change, conservation and sustainability continue to grow, documentaries have gained popularity as a medium for highlighting what’s happening to our planet. Whether it’s about wildlife loss or some of the driving forces of the climate crisis, documentaries can offer insight and inspiration for action. 

Here are some sustainability- and environmental-based documentaries currently available in Canada.

1. Our Planet

Our Planet is a documentary series that showcases the world’s wildlife and habitats, and raises awareness about the threats they face. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, Our Planet was made in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and Silverback Films. 

Episodes take viewers on a journey through Earth’s various biomes, from jungles to seas and deserts. They highlight how climate change and human activities, such as overfishing and plastic pollution, are impacting some of these places and the wildlife that inhabits them.

The first season of Our Planet is currently available on Netflix and for free on YouTube, while the second season is exclusively available on Netflix.

2. Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral explores the rapid disappearance of coral reefs around the world. The film follows a team of divers, photographers and scientists as they document coral bleaching, revealing how rapidly warming oceans — caused by their absorption of extra heat from greenhouse gases — are affecting these vibrant and important ecosystems.

Climate change is altering the world’s oceans, which, despite teeming with life, can often feel invisible to people. Available on Netflix, Chasing Coral is a wake-up call that reveals a hidden crisis occurring underwater and inspires viewers to care for the oceans.

3. The Story of Stuff

The Story of Stuff provides a critical analysis of the environmental and social costs of modern consumerism. Through an engaging narrative and animated graphics, the documentary exposes some of the driving forces behind consumerism and follows the lifecycle of goods, from resource extraction and manufacturing to distribution, consumption and disposal. It illustrates how each stage impacts people and the planet. 

Available on YouTube, The Story of Stuff provides a deeper understanding of how overconsumption is tied to larger environmental issues and encourages viewers to rethink their habits and consider more sustainable alternatives.

4. Dominion

Through the use of hidden-camera footage and drones, Dominion provides a troubling glimpse inside animal agriculture facilities in Australia. While the content may be difficult to watch, the documentary has a clear goal: to expose the exploitation and abuse of animals.

Dominion reveals the concerning practices across multiple animal agriculture sectors, including cows, pigs, chickens, ducks and fish. The film also highlights how livestock production raises concerns about deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.

Dominion may not be an easy watch, but it delivers a thorough and uncompromising assessment of the environmental and ethical consequences of animal farming and challenges audiences to rethink commonly consumed foods and products. 

The documentary can be watched on YouTube.

5. Will Renewables Stop the Climate Crisis? & Global Renewables: Pioneering the Energy Transition


This two-part documentary, available on German news outlet Deutsche Welle’s YouTube channel, provides a comprehensive overview of renewable energy. 

“Will Renewables Stop the Climate Crisis?” explores the urgent need for green energy and whether renewables alone can halt the climate crisis. 

“Global renewables: Pioneering the energy transition” picks up the story with real-world examples of how communities in Germany and the United States have successfully adopted renewable energy, highlighting the technical details and social collaboration needed to make the transition feasible. 

The documentary balances urgency with optimism, with one framing the global problem and the other showing actionable solutions.

Part one is available here, and part two here.

Summary

These documentaries showcase the range of challenges and solutions shaping the planet and society, from climate change and food systems to wildlife and renewable energy. They inform, inspire and show that meaningful action is possible for everyone.


​

Edited by Jess Blackwell