Google’s emissions spike faster than reported, driven by AI and data center expansion
Google’s greenhouse gas emissions have surged more than the company disclosed, with new research showing a 65% increase since 2019, driven largely by energy demands from artificial intelligence and data centers.
Johana Bhuiyan reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- A nonprofit analysis found Google’s emissions rose 65% from 2019 to 2024, not the 51% the company reported, and have increased over 1,500% since 2010.
- The discrepancy comes from differing emissions accounting methods — Google uses market-based offsets, while researchers used location-based emissions tied to actual grid energy use.
- Google’s water use also jumped 27% in a year, reaching 11 billion gallons in 2024, enough to supply Boston and nearby suburbs for nearly two months.
Key quote:
“Google’s own data makes it clear: the corporation is contributing to the acceleration of climate catastrophe, and the metrics that matter – how many emissions they emit, how much water they use, and how fast these trends are accelerating – are headed in the wrong direction for us and the planet.”
— Nicole Sugerman, campaign manager at Kairos Fellowship
Why this matters:
As AI-driven technologies grow, the infrastructure supporting them — particularly large-scale data centers — requires enormous amounts of electricity and water. Even as companies like Google promise net-zero emissions, the reality is far more complex. Much of their reported progress hinges on carbon offsets and projections, not reductions in actual energy use. These facilities often draw power from fossil-fuel-dominated grids and extract water from local sources, which can stress communities already facing climate-related droughts. Rising emissions and water usage challenge the image of tech as a clean industry and show how its expansion may come at the cost of public health, local water supplies, and global climate goals.
From this time last year: Google's emissions soar due to AI energy demands
