AI energy consumption has caused Google's carbon emissions to soar by nearly half in five years, and the 2030 emission reduction target is challenged

Due to the increase in artificial intelligence energy consumption, Google's carbon emissions will reach 14.3 million tons in 2023, an increase of nearly 50% from five years ago. This is a far cry from its previous "net-zero emissions" goal to combat climate change.

According to a report by the Financial Times (FT) on July 3, Google pointed out in its annual environmental report on the 2nd that the company's greenhouse gas emissions will reach 14.3 million tons of carbon equivalent in 2023, 48 higher than the 2019 benchmark, 13% higher than 2022. Its energy-related emissions in 2023 (mainly from data center power consumption) will increase by 37% year-on-year, accounting for a quarter of its total greenhouse gas emissions. The data suggests that Google is running counter to the 2030 "net-zero emissions" goal it set three years ago.

According to estimates by the International Energy Agency, by 2026, the total electricity consumption of Google's data centers may double from 2022, which is approximately equivalent to the national power demand level of Japan. According to calculations by relevant research companies, by 2030, artificial intelligence will cause data centers to consume 4.5% of global power generation. According to a report by the Guardian on July 2, Microsoft President Brad Smith admitted in May this year that the company's emission reduction goals were affected by its artificial intelligence strategy. Microsoft's carbon emissions have increased by nearly one-third since 2020, largely due to the construction of data centers.

Google said that achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2030 is "not easy" and that "significant uncertainties" about achieving the goal include "uncertainty about the future environmental impact of artificial intelligence, which is complex and unpredictable." Google remains committed to meeting its 2030 goals, but expects its emissions to "continue to rise before falling back to our targets." Kate Brandt, the company's chief sustainability officer, said Google is working "very hard" to reduce emissions, such as signing clean energy agreements. She also said that "artificial intelligence can also bring huge opportunities to solve climate problems." Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, shares the same view.

According to the Associated Press reported on July 3, as Google's energy consumption increases, its renewable energy utilization rate is also increasing. Google said its average carbon-free energy in its global data centers and offices last year was 64%, and its data centers were on average 1.8 times more energy efficient than other data centers in the industry.

While affirming the "ambition" and candor of Google's "net zero emissions" goal, Lisa Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Investment in Colombia, also said that Google should do more to cooperate with cleaner companies and invest in the power grid, hoping to engage in a further dialogue with Google on how to accelerate the use of clean energy in the climate crisis.

According to previous reports, technology companies began to compete for nuclear power resources after their demand for electricity exploded. About one-third of U.S. nuclear power plant owners are in talks with technology companies to provide power for new data centers. Some analysts say that such power supply agreements also mean that technology companies are not adding new green energy to meet their soaring power needs, but are diverting existing power resources. Data centers could draw stable power generation resources from the grid, exacerbating growing power reliability problems in many parts of the United States and pushing up electricity prices.