Google's emissions up 48% since 2019, driven by data centers

Google's emissions are up 50% in five years

Google's greenhouse gas emissions have grown substantially, climbing 48% since 2019. The company released its 2024 environmental report on Tuesday, revealing the increase is driven by energy consumption at its data centers and supply chain emissions.

The tech giant's total emissions reached 14.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023. This marks a 13% year-over-year rise and underscores the significant environmental cost of the artificial intelligence boom.

AI and data centers drive the surge

The primary driver of this growth is increased energy use by data centers. These facilities are the backbone of Google's cloud services and its expansive AI research and product development. As Google integrates AI into more products, the computational demands—and associated energy needs—have skyrocketed.

"As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging," the company stated in its report. This admission highlights a central tension between technological ambition and climate goals for major tech firms.

Google's climate goal faces major obstacles

This trend puts Google's flagship climate commitment in serious jeopardy. The company has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2030. The rising emissions make that target increasingly difficult to reach.

The report notes that "the future environmental impact of AI" is complex and difficult to predict. Factors like climate change, which can increase the energy needed for data center cooling, and the global expansion of the electrical grid further complicate the path forward.

Other tech giants face similar challenges

Google is not alone in grappling with the climate impact of AI. Microsoft's emissions have also risen by roughly 30% since 2020, largely for the same reasons. Both companies are investing heavily in:

• Clean energy agreements to power their operations
• Technologies for capturing carbon from the atmosphere
• Efforts to use more water for cooling instead of energy-intensive methods

However, these measures have so far been unable to offset the explosive growth in energy demand. The industry-wide challenge is finding a way to power next-generation computing without derailing corporate and global climate objectives.