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Google Undercounts Its Carbon Emissions Despite ‘Net Zero’ Goal For 2030

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Back in 2021, Google set the goal of having net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, however, within the past four years they’ve been using more energy, especially with the company’s investment in artificial intelligence which requires a large amount of energy. 

In Google’s latest sustainability report, the company claimed its carbon emissions were increased by 51% between 2019 and 2024. However, in another report from non-profit advocacy group Kairos Fellowship, they claimed Google’s carbon emissions actually increased by 65% in that five year period. 

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Between 2010, when Google first made their greenhouse gas emissions public, and 2024, their total emissions increased by 1,515%, according to the report from Kairos. Between 2023 and 2024, Google saw its biggest increase within a one-year period with an increase of 26%. 

“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,” said Nicole Sugerman, a campaign manager at Kairos Fellowship.

After the report from Kairos was published, Google released a statement questioning their findings. 

“The analysis by the Kairos Fellowship distorts the facts. Our carbon emissions are calculated according to the widely used Greenhouse Gas Protocol and assured by a third party. Our carbon reduction ambition has been validated by the leading industry body, the Science Based Targets initiative,” said a spokesperson, Maggie Shiels.

The authors of the Kairos report cited multiple factors as to why their report found different numbers than Google, including the use of a different metric for calculating the total emissions released. Google uses market-based emissions while Kairos uses location-based emissions. 

Location-based emissions are the average emissions the company produces from its use of local power grids. Market-based emissions include energy that the company has purchased in order to offset their total emissions, according to reports from the Guardian. 

“[Location-based emissions] represents a company’s ‘real’ grid emissions,” said Franz Ressel, the lead researcher and report co-author. 

“Market-based emissions are a corporate-friendly metric that obscures a polluter’s actual impact on the environment. It allows companies to pollute in one place, and try to ‘offset’ those emissions by purchasing energy contracts in another place.”

The energy that Google needed to power its data centers alone increased by 820% since 2010, which will likely increase further as the company releases and utilizes more AI products. 

“In absolute terms, the increase was 6.8 TWh, or the equivalent of Google adding the entire state of Alaska’s energy use in one year to their previous use,” said Sugerman.

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“It’s not sustainable to keep building at the rate [Google is] building because they need to scale their compute within planetary limits,” said Sugerman. 

“We do not have enough green energy to serve the needs of Google and certainly not the needs of Google and the rest of us.”

Google’s sustainability report stated that their water withdrawal increased 27% between 2023 and 2024 to 11 billion gallons of water. 

“[That is] enough to supply the potable water needs for the 2.5 million people and 5,500 industrial users in Boston and its suburbs for 55 days,” the Kairos report stated. 

Beyond just Google, all the major tech companies have been publicly pressured to utilize clean energy to grow their data centers. In fact, this week multiple organizations such as the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, League of Conservation Voters, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club, published an open letter in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Seattle Times to the CEOs of Google, Amazon and Microsoft to “commit to no new gas and zero delayed coal plant retirements to power your data centers.”

“In just the last two years alone, your companies have built data centers throughout the United States capable of consuming more electricity than four million American homes,” the letter stated. 

“Within five years, your data centers alone will use more electricity than 22 million households, rivaling the consumption of multiple mid-size states.”

The Kairos report has accused Google of relying “heavily on speculative technologies, particularly nuclear power,” as a means of achieving its goal of net zero emissions by 2030. 

“Google’s emphasis on nuclear energy as a clean energy ‘solution’ is particularly concerning, given the growing consensus among both scientists and business experts that their successful deployment on scale, if it is to ever occur, cannot be achieved in the near or mid-term future,” the report said.

The Kairos report concluded by alleging that Google presents its data in a misleading way. While they stated that they have improved their energy efficiency by citing only efficiency numbers rather than the absolute ones. 

“Since 2010, the company’s total energy consumption has increased 1,282%,” the report stated.

UK

One Third Of Households In The United Kingdom Facing Poverty Due To Rising Energy Costs 

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According to campaigners from the United Kingdom, nearly one third of households in the nation will face poverty by the winter due to increasing energy costs and paying bills that are expected to rise in price even further with the new year. 

According to estimates from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition (EFPC), about 10.5 million households will be in “fuel poverty” for the first three months of 2023. In other words, based on their incomes after they’re done paying their energy bills their household income will fall below the poverty line. 

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The definition of poverty in the UK is any household with an income of less than 60% of the UK median, which stands at £31,000 ($37,500), according to official statistics.

Cornwall Insight is the research firm that provided the data leading to the prediction that one third of households will be impoverished in the winter. The average energy bill is expected to hit £3,582 ($4,335) a year from October, and £4,266 ($5,163) from January; about £355 ($430) a month.

The forecast for 2023 represents a 116% increase in energy bills from their current levels. Fuel prices have been surging worldwide, and in the UK prices are projected to continue to rise by 83% in January. 

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Cornwall Insight, however, also is expecting energy bills will start decreasing in the second half of 2023. The average household bill in the UK has risen by 54% this year due to inflation rates regarding fuel and energy consumption.

The UK government announced a bill in May which introduced a  £15 billion ($18 billion) package of support — including a “£400 ($484) payment to 29 million households from October — to ease the burden of energy bills.”

But Simon Francis, coordinator for the EFPC, said “the latest price estimates meant the current level of government support amounted to a drop in the ocean.”

Craig Lowrey, a principal consultant at Cornwall Insight, said in a Tuesday press release that “if £400 was not enough to make a dent in the impact of [the company’s] previous forecast, it most certainly is not enough now.”

Liz Truss, the UK’s foreign minister and as prime minister, has proposed “cutting taxes to help people struggling with their bills, rather than direct help.”

Texas Storm Exposes Just How Unprepared US Energy Grids Are For Climate Change

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Electric grid regulators throughout the US are claiming that the nation must develop new and vast supplies of energy storage to cope with future climate change related incidents.

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Solar Panels

UK Company Using Material That Could Be “Game-Changer” For Solar Power 

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Solar energy has been one of the biggest innovations within the past few decades. Now, a company in the UK is using a group of materials called perovskites to create the “next generation of solar panels.” The company claims that the materials could make solar power twice as efficient as it is now, and it’s flexible enough to wrap around entire buildings. 

Solar energy as a power source first appeared in the 1950’s in New Jersey. At the time Bell Labs created a silicon-based solar panel that was expensive, but effective enough to turn 6% of sunlight into electricity powerful enough to power everyday electrical equipment. As time went on the cost of solar panels went down but the use of silicon remained. Today, panels can turn up to 22% of the light emitted from the sun into power. 

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Oxford PV is the company that’s based out of the University of Oxford that initially began using perovskites for solar power back in 2018. The company found that when they coated the silicone used in the development of solar panels with perovskite, they achieved 28% efficiency in terms of converting solar energy into electricity. The company believes, however, the technology can get that percentage up to 40%. 

So what exactly does this mean in terms of the future of solar energy? As solar cells improve in efficiency, less solar panels are needed to power certain buildings, meaning costs for solar panels will decrease, and the amount of land, labor, and equipment needed to operate the panels would also decrease and simplify. This would mean more average individuals can begin implementing this type of technology in their own homes, and not just individuals of a higher working class who can afford it. Henry Snaith is the co-founder of Oxford PV and recently spoke to the press about the company’s major breakthrough.

“If we want to make it that all new power generation is solar photovoltaics, then we need to keep driving the price down. One way to do that is to keep pushing the efficiency or the power output of the module up, and this is where perovskites really come into play.”

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Perovskite was initially discovered as a material in the 1800’s, but Oxford PV uses a synthetic version that’s made from more inexpensive materials that are abundant in the Earth’s crust. This way the cost of material remains low, while other companies attempting to use the same materials are using different more expensive variations. The perk of perovskite is that it works monumentally better in the shade or on cloudy days when compared to regular panels with just silicone at the base. The goal, according to Snaith, is to replace silicone entirely with perovskite. 

“In the coming decades, all perovskite solar coatings promise to raise efficiencies even further, reduce the weight and shipping cost of solar equipment. As the technology develops, perovskite could be sprayed or rolled onto flexible surfaces.”

Oxford PV will begin producing solar cells made from perovskite on top of silicone early next year in a newly acquired factory in Germany. The company is estimating that the panels could save homeowners currently using solar panels up to $1,000 on the purchase and installation of these newer panels.

Power Plant

California to Build New Geothermal Power Plants

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Although the current federal government currently denies the science of climate change, many states seek to advance research and technology for transitioning to renewable energies in the future, most notably California, which is one of the largest states in the country. Under Governor Gavin Newsom, California has set some of the most ambitious environmental policies in the nation, as the state is committed to improving its air quality and transitioning towards sources of energy like wind and solar. However, the state is also beginning to invest into an often-overlooked form of energy production, which is geothermal power. Three energy companies in the state have signed contracts to build two new geothermal power plants in the state—one in Imperial County near the Salton Sea and one in Mono County along the Eastern Sierra. The new plants will be the first geothermal power plants built in the state in almost a decade, demonstrating that California’s approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions includes a multitude of sources of energy.

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According to Governor Newsom, California’s focus on environmental policy has stimulated the economy, not harmed it, as some opponents of environmentalism have feared. Investing in renewable energy creates new jobs as infrastructure to create wind turbines, solar panels, and more needs to be built. Although wind and solar provides cheap, renewable energy, these methods of energy production depend upon weather conditions, as solar panels work less efficiently on cloudy days and not at all at night, and wind turbines are useless on a still day. Geothermal plants, on the other hand, can produce emissions-free power 24 hours a day, though this form of energy production is significantly more expensive than competing renewable energy sources.

Currently, most of the power supply in California comes from natural gas, which makes up 34.9% of the state’s power source; renewable energy, including geothermal energy, is a close second at 31.4%, whereas the least environmentally-friendly power source, coal, accounts for just 3.3% of the state’s energy. While geothermal is not the prefered source of renewable energy due to its cost, California has passed a bill requiring the state to become 100% climate-friendly by 2045, and the state will need to use all forms of renewable energy possible to achieve that goal. In addition to generating power, the companies involved in building these new geothermal plants hope to use them to extract lithium from the ground. Lithium is a key element for manufacturing batteries, and large amounts of lithium will be necessary in the transition to electric cars as well as storing energy.

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Already, 43 geothermal plants exist in California, many of which were built in the 70s and 80s and have been generating clean power ever since. Because the state is geologically active, California has great potential for generating power through geothermal plants—according to a 2008 estimate from the U.S. Geological Survey, the state has the potential to produce about 15,000 megawatts of power from geothermal energy. For environmentalists and proponents of renewable sources of energy, California’s recent investment in geothermal energy is heartening, as it shows that the state is committed to exploring all possible options for greenhouse-gas-free methods of producing electricity.

Electric Plane

World’s First Electric Plane Flies For 15 Minutes in Canada

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Climate issues and air pollution are a top priority for many countries around the world with the number of electric cars in many towns and cities steadily on the increase. But what about the aviation world?

It is a known fact that air travel is damaging the planet with American flights responsible for around 11 percent of our CO2 emissions. But what can we do to reduce it?

This week saw a seaplane, completely powered by electric, take its maiden flight in Vancouver, Canada, leading some to claim it as a “world first” for the aviation sector.

Harbour Air – who has a fleet of airplanes that carries around 500,000 passengers annually – and magniX carried out a test flight of an aircraft that had been fitted with an electric motor. And although the plane was only a small six seater aircraft, it has been hailed as leading the way to “the world’s first all-electric commercial fleet.”

Taking off near the Fraser River in Vancouver, the electric seaplane continued for around 15 minutes before landing safely.

It is hopeful that by bringing electric into the aviation sector, the amount of carbon emissions could be reduced. Similar to that of the motor industry, where electric cars produce between 17 – 30 percent less carbon emissions to that of a petrol or diesel powered car, it is believed electric airplanes can reduce carbon emissions significantly, something the high-polluting sector should be embracing.

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In a joint statement released by magniX and Harbour Air, it was claimed that “this historic flight signifies the start of the third era in aviation – the electric age.”

magniX, an Australian company, actually launched the plane at the Paris Air Show in June this year and states that the propulsion system – the companies used a DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver which has a 750-horsepower (560kW) magni500 propulsion system – enabled them to create a “clean and efficient way to power airplanes.”

It is believed that Harbour Air, a Canadian operator of seaplanes, are aiming to have an all-electric fleet of airplanes, they currently have 40 aircraft, by 2022, however this all depends on whether they secure the relevant regulatory and safety approvals.

There are many benefits of having electric airplanes with zero emissions as well as a much lower operating cost. Yet they are proving to be a bigger challenge to engineers, unlike the concept of electric trains and cars, which do not travel such long distances. Currently the plane’s batteries are only able to fly about 100 miles in between battery charging, which severely hampers the majority of flights.

The size of the motors and batteries that would be needed to not only launch an electric plane but to also keep it in the air – and for several hours at a time – would mean that it could be difficult for the planes to be flown.

However these are only minor issues that can be resolved eventually due to the rapid advancements in electric flights. In 2017 a non-commercial electric plane crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans during a round the world trip.

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But will moving airplanes to electric engines actually help cut gas emissions in the aviation sector?

There has been increasing concern regarding the amount of pollution from flying and the impact it has on the planet, with many travelers aiming to reduce their carbon footprint in any way they can. For instance, many try to travel by alternative methods where possible, such as train, while others are utilizing websites that help give something back to the environment – such as BedandTree who plant a tree each time you book your travel through them – while many businesses now hold their cross-country business meetings via video conferencing apps – such as Zoom – therefore removing their impact on the environment completely.

Swiss bank UBS released a survey recently showing that flyers are trying to reduce their air travel due to their environmental concerns, with “flygskam” or “flight shame” spreading throughout the country. And in the United Kingdom it has been claimed that by 2050 the biggest source of air pollution will be from aviation.

However, the prospect of using electric airplanes for long haul flights continues to be a major challenge for those in the aviation sector.

Although there has been a significant advancement in generators, power distribution, electrical motors and controls, battery technology has not advanced as much.

With this in mind, the electric airplane we saw recently in Canada can fly around 100 miles (160km) on lithium battery power, according to AFP.

magniX chief executive Roei Ganzarski commented that “the [flight] range now is not where we’d love it to be, but it’s enough to start the revolution.” He has also questioned ‘’if people are willing to drive an hour to work, why not fly 15 minutes to work?”

Oil and Gas Plant

How Oil and Gas Companies are Grappling with Climate Change

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Climate change presents a major problem for nearly every industry in the world, but the oil and gas industry is perhaps the most directly affected one. As the burning of fossil fuels is the most significant contributor to the greenhouse gas effect, oil and gas companies remain the target of blame for the crisis around the world. As such, these companies are faced with the challenge of reconciling their responsibility to the planet with their obligation to generate profits. Although the science on climate change and the activities that contribute to it has been settled for a long time, it has only been in the past few years that oil and gas companies have come to an agreement about the nature and urgency of the crisis. How they are adapting to a near-global consensus about the need to reduce carbon emissions, however, is more disparate, with some companies investing in alternative energy solutions and others focusing on improving the efficiency of oil and gas consumption.

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Perhaps the most striking example of the oil and gas industry’s involvement in shaping the future of energy consumption is the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, which was formed by many of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, and whose members include BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron, to name just a few. The initiative’s stated goal is to “deliver solutions for a sustainable low-emissions future,” and their member companies are “dedicated to the ambition of the Paris Agreement to progress to net zero emissions in the second half of this century.” The initiative’s plan for reaching this goal includes three components: reducing the energy value chain footprint, accelerating low-carbon solutions, and embracing a circular carbon model.

The first objective refers to reducing the amount of methane released into the atmosphere during each stage of the process of energy production, from transport and distribution to usage by final customers. Of all of the greenhouse gases, methane traps the most amount of heat in the atmosphere, making its release a primary concern for oil and gas companies looking to reduce their impact on climate change. The second objective refers to optimizing the efficiency of fossil fuel use by investing in technologies that are more energy efficient and researching new low-emissions pathways for the mid and long-term. The last objective refers to capturing carbon emissions and storing them safely or using carbon in products, and then neutralizing any remaining carbon.

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While the Oil and Gas Initiative is certainly a step in the right direction, the organization has plenty of room for improvement. Though many of the world’s major players in the oil and gas space are represented by the initiative, the organization accounts for only 30% of the world’s oil and gas production. And the initiative is mostly focused on making existing fossil fuel consumption methods more efficient rather than switching over to renewable energy platforms, like wind and solar, though they consider renewable energy as a necessary component of the future of energy production. 

Many critics, however, suggest that the approach taken by oil and gas companies is inadequate, and insist that the transition to the energy economy of the future necessitates intervention from governments around the world. These critics, which include organizations like the Climate Action Network, blame the oil and gas industry for suppressing research about the effects of carbon emissions, and claim that major political change is necessary, as meaningful change will not come from oil and gas companies acting alone. The Climate Action Network, as well as other environmental organizations around the world, call for policies like a carbon tax, government investment in renewable energy, and an elimination of subsidies on oil and gas. That being said, global demand for energy, and specifically fossil fuels, is higher now than it’s ever been, and even the most ambitious plans for reducing carbon emissions still recognize that fossil fuel use must continue in some capacity for decades to come.