Google wants to reach net zero emissions by 2030, but it is Investing in AI is making its environmental commitment more challenging.

Google released it Environmental Report 2024 on Tuesday and reported a nearly 50% increase in greenhouse gas emissions over four years. In 2023, the tech giant's emissions reached 14.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, a 13% increase from 2022 and a 48% increase since 2019.

Energy consumed by Google's data centers and supply chain contributed the most to the increase.

“As we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging due to increased energy demands from AI's greater computing intensity,” Google wrote.

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The company also expects to produce more emissions as it invests more deeply in the technical infrastructure needed for AI.

^{Enter outside the Google campus in Mountain View, California. Photo: Mike Kai Chen/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

HE complicates net-zero goal Google decided three years ago to balance the emissions it emits by removing until its carbon footprint reaches net zero.

Google acknowledged the challenge more than once in its environmental report, writing that the future environmental impact of AI “is complex and difficult to predict.”

At the same time, Google put AI's potential to address climate change front and center in the report, highlighting a 2021 Boston Consulting Group study which claimed AI could reduce overall emissions by 5% to 10%.

“AI has a critical enabling role to play in accelerating mitigation, supporting adaptation and building the fundamental capabilities for the transition to a low-carbon future,” Google wrote.

Google has released multiple AI products to the public, including AI overviews in Search and AI integration with Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Sheets.

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The tech giant isn't alone in feeling the downsides of AI power: Microsoft too, which has a net-zero goal by 2030. reported in May, emissions increased by 30% from 2020 to 2023.