Like many large companies, Google made headlines in 2021 when it announced its intention to achieve a lofty climate related goal by 2030.
Google Behind on Net Zero Goal
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The tech giant committed to achieving net zero emissions by the end of the decade, but has gotten off to a rocky start.
Emissions Increasing Significantly
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Google’s emissions have not decreased as much as its leaders hoped. In fact, they have dramatically increased since 2019.
Nearly 50% Increase in Emissions Since 2019
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According to the company‘s own data, Google’s emissions have increased by a staggering 48% in the last five years.
Google Says AI Is To Blame
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The culprit behind the rise, Google says, is artificial intelligence. The technology needs an enormous amount of energy to function, and unfortunately, that energy is usually not from renewable sources.
Data Centers Using Tremendous Energy
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While the data centers needed to run AI could use greener energy sources like solar or wind powered electricity, it is usually more cost efficient to build them in areas where fossil fuels are still the primary source of power.
In Defense of AI
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Google has admitted that its carbon emissions are not tracking in the right direction, but pointed to the fact that AI has proven useful in finding ways to slow climate change to justify the unexpected increase.
Google’s Environmental Responsibility
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Experts say that Google has a responsibility to prioritize the use of greener energy sources as an industry leader.
Company Points to Comparisons in Efficiency
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Google argues that it is doing just that, and said the data centers powering its operations are nearly twice as energy efficient as ones used by other companies.
Large Companies Trending Behind Environmental Goals
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Google is not the only company facing a reality check about its environmental impact. Other businesses are also realizing that their data centers are using more energy than ever before.
Microsoft and Amazon Also Failing to Reach Net Zero
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Since announcing similar plans to reach net zero, Microsoft’s emissions have risen by nearly 30% while Amazon’s have gone up around 40%.
Amazon Will No Longer Reach Net Zero As Expected
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In fact, Amazon backtracked on its goal altogether in order to reevaluate how best to move forward. It had previously launched a net zero initiative they hoped to reach by 2040,
AI’s Role in Climate Change
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The AI defense is backed by some climate scientists, who agree that artificial intelligence has the potential to help reduce the impacts of global warming. But responsible use is key, according to the experts.
Using AI Responsibly
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In an interview with NBC, environmental scientist Amanda Smith said she understands that AI has its place, but urged users to think critically about its impact before using it unnecessarily.
“It’s Up to Us as Humans”
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“It’s up to us as humans to watch what we’re doing with it and to question why we’re doing that,” Smith said. “When it’s worth it, we can make sure that those demands are going to be met by clean sources of power.”
Google Rep Says Goals are Changing
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Kate Brandt, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer, spoke with the Associated Press about how the company’s goals were shifting in the wake of the latest data.
“This is Not Going to Be Easy”
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“We know this is not going to be easy and that our approach will need to continue to evolve,” Brandt said.
“It Will Require Us to Navigate A Lot of Uncertainty”
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“It will require us to navigate a lot of uncertainty, including this uncertainty around the future of AI’s environmental impacts,” she added.
No New Goals Announced
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For now, Google has not announced a major change in its ultimate goal, but the California-based company has its work cut out for it.
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