Driven by AI push, Google's emissions rise by 48% since 2019; net-zero target a distant dream

Tech giant Google's artificial intelligence (AI) push appears to be hampering its target of achieving net zero emissions by 2030.

As per the company's latest environmental report, its emissions increased by 13 per cent in comparison to 2023, primarily driven by increased energy consumption at data centres and supply chain emissions.

While a 13 per cent increase is significant, what is perhaps alarming is the overall trend: Google reported a whopping 48 per cent increase in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to 2019, something that suggests that the tech giant has some ways to go before it can achieve its "extremely ambitious" net zero target.

Notably, this increase in greenhouse gas emissions happened despite Google ramping up the adoption of solar and wind energy.

"In spite of the progress we're making, we face significant challenges that we're actively working through," Google's Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and senior Vice President Benedict Gomes were quoted as saying in the report.

Indeed, Google isn't alone: several tech giants including the likes of Microsoft face similar hurdles, but have relatively easier-to-achieve net zero targets: Microsoft has set for itself a target year of 2050, while Amazon, also an AI contender, seeks to become carbon-neutral by 2040, reports AFP.

However, these companies are likely to face significant obstacles to their targets as the use of power-hungry AI grows.

For those unaware, data centres are crucial in training and operating generative AI models like Gemini and ChatGPT, and as AI demands grow, so will power consumption.

While the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that energy consumption by data centres will double from 2022 levels by 2026, calculations by research firm SemiAnalysis suggests that data-centres for AI will eat into 4.5 per cent of global energy generation by as early as 2030.