Google Steps Back from Its 2030 Net-Zero Promise

Some promises are quite huge, and in some cases, promises are just promises. Google had big plans and usually talked tough when it came to its climate goals. The company once pushed its plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. Well, it's not so tough after all, and its actions now show it will not deliver on its promise. 

In late June, Google removed the phrase “pursue net-zero by 2030” from its main website. A section once titled “Operating sustainably” is now simply “Our operations.” The net-zero tagline appears only in the appendix of its new environmental report. Google says it still wants to cut emissions, but the wording now treats the pledge as a distant aim rather than a solid plan.

Google’s energy use is climbing fast as it expands AI data centres. In 2024, the company used 32.2 terawatt-hours of electricity. That amount is higher than Ireland’s entire yearly power use. It also marked a 26 percent jump compared to 2023.

Emissions grew almost 50 percent during the same period. Even small AI tasks add to the total. A single Gemini chat message takes about 0.24 watt-hours. That seems tiny, but billions of messages add up to a huge demand.

Experts warn the whole tech sector is in a “climate strategy crisis.” AI data centres could drive 70 percent of new global electricity demand in the next few years. McKinsey projects $6.7 trillion will be needed by 2030 to meet this demand. Around $5.2 trillion of that must go into AI data centre projects.

In the United States, data centres may use 12 percent of national power by 2030. That would place heavy pressure on power grids and clean energy projects.

Microsoft and Amazon still spotlight their net-zero goals in their reports. Google’s softer tone could signal a wider shift across the industry. Politics add to the uncertainty, with debates over “clean coal” shaping energy plans.

Google says it is still aiming for net-zero by 2030. Yet its new language shows the road forward is far less certain.