In 2021, Google boldly proclaimed its ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Yet, as time has passed, this tech giant has veered off course, indulging in energy-hungry artificial intelligence investments. The latest sustainability report reveals a staggering 51% increase in carbon emissions from 2019 to 2024, a shocking failure for a company priding itself on sustainability.
Recent research aims to refute even this inflated figure, presenting an even grimmer reality. A report from the nonprofit Kairos Fellowship indicates Google’s carbon emissions surged by 65% during the same timeframe. Since 2010, the year when data on Google’s emissions first became public, total greenhouse gas emissions skyrocketed by an astonishing 1,515%. Among the most alarming revelations was a 26% jump in emissions just from 2023 to 2024, showcasing a clear disregard for accountability.
Nicole Sugerman, a campaign manager at Kairos Fellowship, stated, “Google’s own data makes it clear: the corporation is contributing to the acceleration of climate catastrophe.” These numbers underscore not only a lack of transparency but also an abandonment of responsibility towards a sustainable future.
The findings reveal that much of the data used to assess Google’s energy usage was buried in the appendices of its own reports, hidden from those seeking the truth. This lack of clarity reflects an unsettling pattern of corporate elitism—where regulations and expectations are conveniently sidestepped by those at the top.
When inquiries were made, Google failed to provide immediate comments on the report’s findings, further highlighting the company’s unwillingness to engage transparently with the public.
The Kairos report emphasizes that Google’s method of calculating emissions differs from standard practices for accountability. Specifically, while Google reports market-based emissions—which often obscure real impacts—a more accurate approach would be to utilize location-based emissions. This would present a clearer picture of a company’s true environmental footprint.
As noted by Franz Ressel, lead researcher of the report, “Market-based emissions are a corporate-friendly metric that obscures a polluter’s actual impact.” This assertion exposes the ongoing trend of big tech entities leveraging ambiguous metrics to veil their failures.
Google’s purchase of electricity to power its data centers has seen an explosive increase of 820% since 2010—an alarming statistic that is unlikely to curtail without greater public action. Between 2019 and 2024 alone, emissions from these electricity purchases rose by 121%. Sugerman illustrates the gravity of the situation, stating, “In absolute terms, the increase was 6.8 TWh, or the equivalent of Google adding the entire state of Alaska’s energy use in one year to their previous use.”
Looking ahead, without drastic changes, Google appears poised to miss its self-imposed 2030 deadline. According to the report, the tech behemoth has only meaningfully reduced its Scope 1 emissions—representing a meager 0.31% of total emissions. This calls into question the sincerity of Google’s commitment to sustainability.
Thirsty, power-hungry data centers
As Google continues to erect resource-intensive data centers nationwide, scrutiny over its water usage intensifies. Their own sustainability report acknowledges a 27% increase in water withdrawal to a staggering 11 billion gallons—enough to satisfy the needs of 2.5 million people for 55 days, as the Kairos report notes.
Pressure mounts on large tech companies to address their growing environmental footprint, with Amazon employees advocating for transparency in carbon emissions and climate impacts. Recent shareholder proposals aimed at revealing overall emissions were dismissed, illustrating the disconnect between corporate action and public demand.
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In an open letter, several organizations chastised top tech CEOs for their reckless expansion, stating, “In just the last two years alone, your companies have built data centers throughout the United States capable of consuming more electricity than four million American homes.” Such unchecked growth endangers the future sustainability of not only tech companies but also the communities in which they operate.
In its sustainability report, Google purports that its “future trajectories” may be influenced by the “evolving landscape” of the tech industry. This assertion is a convenient excuse for what can only be described as corporate irresponsibility.
“The combination of AI’s potential for non-linear growth driven by its unprecedented pace of development and the uncertain scale of clean energy needed to meet this growth makes it harder to predict our future emissions,” the report claims. This vagueness masks Google’s unwillingness to address the real issues at hand.
The Kairos report raises further alarm, accusing Google of leaning excessively on speculative technologies like nuclear power to meet its net-zero goals. The report highlights a prevailing skepticism among experts regarding the practicality of nuclear energy as a reliable solution in the near future.
Moreover, the way Google presents its data misleads the public. While the company touts a 50% improvement in data center efficiency over 13 years, it omits the absolute figures that showcase a monumental increase in total energy consumption—up 1,282% since 2010. This selective reporting is a hallmark of elite corporations prioritizing image over accountability.
