SILICON VALLEY, USA: Google’s greenhouse gas emissions have surged by 48 percent over the past five years, reaching 14.3 million tonnes of carbon equivalent in 2023.
This substantial increase, driven primarily by the expansion of data centres supporting artificial intelligence (AI) systems, casts doubt on Google’s ambitious goal to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2030.
Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt acknowledged the challenges, describing the goal as “extremely ambitious” while emphasizing Google’s ongoing efforts to mitigate emissions. Despite signing deals for clean energy and recognizing the potential for AI-enabled climate solutions, the company expects emissions to rise further before declining toward its target.
The rapid growth in AI investments by tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft has raised concerns among climate experts due to the energy-intensive nature of AI technologies. Microsoft, for instance, reported a 30 percent increase in emissions since 2020, largely attributed to data centre expansions. However, proponents like Bill Gates argue that AI could also facilitate significant climate solutions.
Energy demands for AI development are already straining electricity generation and transmission capabilities. Analysts project that AI could double the rate of electricity demand growth in the US, potentially outstripping current supply within the next two years.
Google’s report highlighted that energy-related emissions, primarily from data centre electricity consumption, rose by 37 percent in 2023 and accounted for a quarter of its total emissions. Supply chain emissions, comprising 75 percent of the total, also increased by 8 percent due to infrastructure build-out for AI systems.
Despite these challenges, Google remains committed to its 2030 net zero goal across all emissions sources and aims to operate on carbon-free energy continuously within each grid it serves. However, setbacks like the termination of clean energy projects in 2023 have hindered progress, particularly in expanding renewable energy sources to match escalating data centre demands in regions like the US and Asia-Pacific.
Furthermore, Google noted a 17 percent increase in water consumption by its data centres in 2023, underscoring broader environmental impacts beyond greenhouse gas emissions. As the tech industry continues to grapple with balancing innovation with environmental stewardship, Google’s approach to AI expansion and emissions reduction will be closely scrutinized in the coming years.
