Google’s Eco-Failures

Every year since 2016 Google has released an environmental report that makes them look good, or at the very least, less bad to the public. But the effects of climate change cannot be ignored and it’s time to expose how the biggest of Big Tech are still refusing to take climate action seriously.

This year, Kairos dove deep into Google’s past environmental reports to reveal how the company is really doing – how much energy and water Google is using, and how much its emissions are increasing – as we face devastating consequences from deadly flash floods, suffocating heat domes, and other climate catastrophes happening right now. 

Here is what we found when we dug into Google’s claim about their environment impact: 

Google is misleading the public about the extent of its increase in emissions. Google’s reported total greenhouse gas emissions increased 1,515% from 2010 to 2024 according to the company’s own published data. And their aggressive investment in Generative AI and its infrastructure is a major factor behind its climate failings.

Google is knowingly making false claims about its potential to improve. Google’s claim that it can achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 relies heavily on speculative technologies, particularly nuclear power, which remains dangerous and toxic––and which experts agree and Google itself admits have been scaling too slowly to make a difference in time. Our report concludes that the company is unlikely to achieve any emissions reductions by 2030.

Google is draining water stores. From 2016 to 2024, Google’s “water withdrawal,” which measures how much water they take out of aquifers and reservoirs, increased 340%, to 11 billion gallons. This is more water than 750,000 households, or more people than the entire city of Phoenix, Arizona, use for a year of daily showers.

“Google’s own data makes it clear: the corporation is contributing to the acceleration of climate catastrophe, and the metrics that matter – how many emissions they emit, how much water they use, and how fast these trends are accelerating – are headed in the wrong direction for us and the planet.” — Nicole, author of the report and Kairos Senior Campaigner, in the Guardian.

You can check out the report here.

And if you’re interested in more of this work get you can in touch with our campaigns team at: [email protected]