Google's GHG emissions FY 2019-2023

Google’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by 13 percent in 2023, to 14.31 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e). That year, Google’s carbon intensity was approximately 11.4 tCO₂e per unit of revenue.

Google’s emissions surge 

Google’s GHG emissions have increased by 48 percent since 2019, the base year for the tech giant’s goal of reaching net zero. The main reason for these rising emissions is the soaring energy demands at Google’s data centers, which are primarily being driven by the company’s expanding artificial intelligence (AI) services. AI requires considerable amounts of energy for computation and data storage.

Google’s climate targets at risk

Google has set the target of reaching net zero emissions across all its operations and value chain by 2030. This includes slashing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 50 percent from the 2019 base year. But with the company’s emissions currently rising and energy demand from its AI services set to grow further, these targets are being put at risk. One way in which Google is aiming to address its rising emissions is to move toward purchasing high-quality carbon removal credits.