Google has reported a 48% increase in its greenhouse gas emissions over the past five years, primarily due to electricity consumption by AI data centers.
In its annual environmental report, Google revealed that its emissions in 2023 rose by 13% compared to the previous year, reaching 14.3 million metric tons.
2030 Net Zero Goal Not Easy
The tech giant, which has heavily invested in AI, acknowledged that its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2030 is “extremely ambitious” and “won’t be easy.”
Google cited “significant uncertainty” around the future environmental impact of AI as a major challenge in reaching this target.
Google did acknowledge the difficulty in calculating the carbon footprint of AI data centers which is making it hard to net zero.
What is Net Zero?
Achieving net zero requires the company to remove as much carbon dioxide as it emits.
Artificial Intelligence is expected to raise the electricity demand by 6% as revealed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates last week, as quoted by The Financial Times.
