Google blames AI as its emissions grow instead of heading to net zero

Google points to artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on energy-hungry data centres for its growth in emissions.

Three years ago, Google set an ambitious plan to address climate change by going “net zero”, meaning it would release no more climate-changing gases into the air than it removes, by 2030.

But a report from the company on Tuesday showed it is nowhere near meeting that goal.

Rather than declining, its emissions grew 13 percent in 2023 over the year before. Compared with its baseline year of 2019, emissions have soared 48 percent.

Google cited artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on data centres, which require massive amounts of electricity, for last year’s growth.

Making that electricity by burning coal or natural gas emits greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane, which warm the planet, bringing more extreme weather.