Despite Google's goal of achieving net-zero emissions, its greenhouse gas output has increased as the company powers data centers to support artificial intelligence. Google's climate-changing emissions have surged by 48% over the past five years, which contrasts sharply with its goal of becoming carbon neutral. This information comes from an annual environmental report released recently.
In 2023, Google’s total greenhouse gas emissions were 13% higher than the previous year. This increase was mainly driven by the growing energy consumption of data centers and the company's supply chain, despite Google's efforts to boost the use of solar and wind energy.
Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and Senior Vice President Benedict Gomes acknowledged the challenges in the report, stating, "As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute and the emissions associated with the expected increases in our technical infrastructure investment."
Google isn't alone in this struggle. Microsoft, in its latest sustainability report, disclosed a 29% increase in greenhouse gas emissions since 2020, as it continues to invest in the infrastructure necessary for new technologies. Both Microsoft and Google have been leading the AI race since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, with AI driving their impressive earnings quarter after quarter.
While Google and Microsoft have each pledged to be carbon neutral by the end of this decade, Microsoft has also set a goal to be carbon-negative by 2050, aiming to remove more climate-harming gases from the atmosphere than it emits. Amazon, another AI competitor with its AWS cloud computing division, has set a target to be carbon neutral by 2040.
"A sustainable future requires systems-level change, strong government policies, and new technologies," Google emphasized in its report, reiterating its commitment to collaboration and active participation in addressing climate challenges.
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