Google’s Carbon Footprint Increases by 13% As It Prioritizes AI-Integration Into Its Products

Google has dedicated itself to reducing its carbon footprint to support sustainability, but the company failed last year due to artificial intelligence (AI).

Google's Carboon Footprint Baloons Due to AI

Google LLC generated 13% more emissions in 2023 compared to 2022, the search engine giant revealed on its 2024 environmental report released on Thursday. The unit of Alphabet Inc. primarily attributed the increase to increased energy use in data centers and its supply chain.

The corporation claims that workloads related to artificial intelligence contributed to the increased energy use. In recent years, Google and other big cloud providers have invested heavily in adding additional AI chips to their data centers.

A basic central processor unit uses much less power than high-end data center graphics cards. They also produce more heat, which implies that advanced water-based cooling systems are frequently needed. The environmental impact of AI workloads also considers the power required to run such cooling machinery.

Last year, Google produced emissions equivalent to 14.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Compared to 2022, that is 13% greater. A primary contributing element to the rise was a 37% increase in Google's market-based emissions, primarily attributable to the energy consumption of its data centers.

The corporation consumed 25,910 gigawatt-hours of electricity last year for its activities. For 60 minutes, several hundred thousand houses can be powered by one gigawatt-hour. In 2022, Google consumed 21,776 gigawatt-hours, compared to 12,237 five years prior.

According to the search engine giant, 67% of its power came from carbon-free energy sources in 2023. Google has inked agreements to buy four additional gigawatts of clean energy capacity in Belgium, Texas, Australia, and other places. According to its recent sustainability report, that is more than it purchased in any previous year.

ALSO READ: Google Purchases Biggest Offshore Wind Farm in Netherlands for Clean Energy Generation by 2030

Google Purchases Biggest Offshore Wind Farm in the Netherlands

Google is determined in going green. Earlier this year, the American multinational technology company announced its purchase of two new wind farms off the coast of the Netherlands for its data center in Europe.

The action is a part of Google's goal to match all of the electricity used in its data centers by 2030 with renewable energy sources, round the clock. To achieve that, the company needs to contribute to increasing the quantity of renewable energy, especially offshore wind, that pulses through the electrical networks in the regions where it operates. It unveiled "the next step" of that plan for Europe, announcing that the grid will receive an additional 700 megawatts of sustainable energy capacity.

The two new offshore wind farms in the Netherlands, where Google operates two of its 24 data centers, will supply most of the extra capacity. The energy companies Shell and Eneco have partnered to form the CrossWind and Ecowende consortia.

The companies are working on two projects -- Hollandse Kust West (HKW) Site VI and Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) Wind Farm Zone Site V. Together, these projects are expected to supply around 6% of the Netherlands' annual electricity demand. HKW VI is anticipated to start in 2026, while HKN started generating electricity last year.