Google's latest environmental report shows that its carbon emissions in 2023 increased by 48% compared to 2019. The continuously growing carbon emissions make it more difficult for Google to achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2030. The surge in emissions is due to the significant increase in energy consumption in data centers during the rapidly developing artificial intelligence era.
Google stated in their 2024 environmental report on Tuesday, July 2nd, that their carbon emissions have surged 48% compared to 2019. This reflects a significant setback.
According to the report, Google's emissions were 14.3 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 13%. The growing carbon emissions make it more difficult for Google to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2030.
The company attributed the sharp increase in emissions to the increased energy consumption of data centers and supply chain emissions, which are driven by the rapid development and demand of artificial intelligence. Google's total electricity consumption in data centers increased by 17% in 2023.
Multiple reports have suggested that artificial intelligence will drive an increase in electricity demand. Goldman Sachs estimated earlier this year that data centers will account for 8% of total electricity consumption in the United States by 2030; according to a report by Wells Fargo, electricity demand is expected to increase by 20% by 2030, with only artificial intelligence data centers expected to add approximately 323 terawatt hours of electricity demand in the United States. By comparison, New York City's current annual electricity consumption is 48 terawatt hours.
However, Google wrote in the report that the energy efficiency of their data centers is 1.8 times that of a typical data center. Additionally, the company stated that it remains committed to mitigating the environmental impact of artificial intelligence through model optimization, efficient infrastructure, and emissions reduction.
Renewable energy is expected to play an important role in meeting the energy needs of artificial intelligence in the future, but analysts believe it will not take effect immediately. Wells Fargo analyst Roger Read pointed out that many renewable energy sources will be installed in areas that are a certain distance away from data centers, and it takes a lot of time to build a power line that transmits energy to data centers.
Google is not the only large technology company facing increased emissions due to the demand for artificial intelligence. Microsoft reported in May of this year that its total carbon emissions have increased by nearly 30% since 2020, primarily due to the construction of data centers.