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Google's Emissions Surge Nearly 50% in Five Years Due to AI, Rising 13% in 2023

Jul 2, 2024, 09:34 PM

Google's greenhouse gas emissions have surged nearly 50% over the past five years, driven primarily by the expansion of data centers needed to support its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. According to Google's latest environmental report, the company's emissions grew 13% in 2023 alone, totaling 14.3 million tCO2e. This increase in emissions casts doubt on Google's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The report also highlights that 75% of Google's total emissions come from its supply chain, which rose by 8% recently. Additionally, Google's Scope 2 emissions, mainly from data centers, increased 37% year over year. The surge in emissions is attributed to the high energy demands of AI technology, which has similarly impacted other tech giants like Microsoft.