With six years left for Google to meet its 2030"net zero" climate commitment, the web giant has admitted its carbon emissions are rising. published on Tuesday, Google admitted that its greenhouse gas emissions rose 48 percent since 2019. In 2023 alone, the search giant's carbon footprint topped 14.3 million tons of COChief sustainability officer Kate Brandt and SVP of learning and sustainability Benedict Gomes pinned the blame squarely on increased datacenter energy consumption.
Google's argument is that AI development contributes to a larger carbon footprint, but the technology will offset more emissions elsewhere – such as by generating more efficient routes for automobiles and other ways to cut emissions. Google remains committed to its 2030 net-zero target, but the report admits things could get worse before they get better.