Google's electricity, water use and greenhouse gas emissions all climbed to record levels last year, according to its annual environmental report released Tuesday. The surge comes as the company races to build more AI data centers, undercutting its climate targets despite aggressive clean energy investments.
The report underscores a mounting tension for Big Tech: AI infrastructure is growing far faster than data center efficiency improvements. “This rapid expansion in energy demand is a reality we must manage actively,” the report states, adding that the company remains committed to maintaining environmental standards.
Electricity demand rose 37%, up from 27% the prior year and roughly 3.5 times higher than in 2019. Greenhouse gas emissions increased 18%—the largest annual jump Google has reported—driven largely by manufacturing AI hardware including chips and servers. Water consumption climbed 34% to 10.9 billion gallons, more than double 2021 levels, with data centers accounting for most of the rise.
The findings highlight the environmental cost of the AI race and raise questions about whether voluntary corporate climate pledges can keep pace with growth. Critics argue that reliance on offsets and renewable energy credits may mask true emissions, while Google maintains it is scaling clean energy purchasing.
Some analysts contend the trajectory is unsustainable unless major efficiency breakthroughs emerge. The report offers no clear timeline for reversing the trends, leaving Google's net-zero-by-2030 goal in doubt.