Carbon Commitments
Building a carbon-free future for all.
In our founding decade, Google became the first major company to be carbon neutral. In our second decade, we were the first major company to match 100% of our annual electricity use with renewable energy. By 2030, we aim to be the first major company to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy.
Moving towards carbon-free energy won’t be easy. Here’s how we’re leading at Google, supporting partners, and enabling everyone to be part of the solution to climate change.
Leading at Google
We always start with how we can operate our business more sustainably. It’s our responsibility — and it’s also the best way to innovate, iterate, and share best practices with others.
Operating on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030
We’re constantly pursuing new carbon-free energy generation and storage technologies while working with governments, utilities, and policymakers to deploy those technologies and drive system-level change. By supporting public policies that advance robust global climate action, we create pathways to a carbon-free economy.
As we continue to learn more and collaborate on ways to achieve our goals — such as harnessing next-generation geothermal energy or implementing carbon-intelligent computing — we hope to demonstrate that a fully decarbonized future is achievable for everyone.
Neutralizing our carbon emissions legacy
In 2007, we were the first major company to commit to and achieve carbon neutrality, and since 2017 we’ve matched 100% of our electricity consumption with renewable energy purchases. To date, we’ve procured enough renewable energy and high-quality carbon offsets to neutralize all of our operational emissions since our founding.
Deploy $5.75B in sustainability bonds
In August 2020, we issued $5.75 billion in sustainability bonds, leading the way with the largest sustainability or green bond issuance by any company in history. The net proceeds fund new and ongoing projects that are environmentally or socially responsible and enable investors to join us in tackling critical issues. We believe that these investments benefit our communities, employees, and stakeholders, and they are an important part of fulfilling Google’s mission and goal of creating value over the long term.
Enable 5 GW of new carbon-free energy in manufacturing regions by 2030
Carbon-free energy is hard to source in many parts of the world, including in some of our key manufacturing regions. To help drive development of wind, solar, and other clean energy generation where it’s needed most, we’re building on our previous investment to bring a total of five gigawatts online over the next ten years.
Supporting partners
Our impact is far greater when we share technology, methods, and funding to help organizations everywhere transition to resilient, carbon-free systems.
Helping cities take action and reduce carbon emissions
In 2018, we launched the Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE), a free online tool available to 3,000 cities that uses exclusive data sources and modeling capabilities to help policymakers measure emission sources, run analyses, and identify strategies to reduce emissions. By 2030, we're directly committed to helping over 500 cities and local governments take action and reduce 1 gigaton of carbon emissions annually.
$4M committed in funding for ICLEI Action Fund
To further accelerate climate action, Google.org launched a $4M fund in collaboration with ICLEI, a global network of local governments committed to sustainability, to support nonprofits and academic institutions in Europe and Latin America that are leading data-driven climate action efforts. ICLEI grantees include Deutsche Umwelthilfe in Berlin, which will use traffic data from EIE, along with other tools, to develop street-specific changes to cycling and other mobility infrastructure in order to accelerate the city’s progress toward its air quality and climate-free transport goals.
(Image provided by Land Life Company)
Remove more carbon from the atmosphere with reforestation and better tree data
Efficiency and clean energy are vital, but we also need to remove carbon that’s already in the air. Nature provides a great solution — trees — but knowing where, when, and what to plant is critical to ensure planted trees thrive and long-term ecosystem restoration is achieved.
We’re starting with our own reforestation efforts in California, Texas, Spain, and Australia. We’re also partnering with Crowther Lab to develop a global data platform to increase the impact of restoration projects around the world, enabling others to come on this journey.
(Image provided by Saildrone, Inc.)
Launch €10M Climate Impact Challenge to accelerate green recovery
We launched a €10m Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate to fund bold ideas that aim to use technology to accelerate Europe’s progress toward a greener, more resilient future. Together with our partner Climate-KIC, we selected 11 organizations for funding and post-grant support with the Google for Startups Accelerator and Google.org Fellowship to help bring their ideas to life.
Enabling everyone
Collectively, individual actions can make a big difference. At Google, we’re continuously developing products and technology that help support everyone on their journey to a more sustainable life.
Helping every day be more sustainable with Google
At Google, one of the biggest ways we can help combat climate change is through our core products. From how you get around, how you heat and cool your home, or the things you buy - our goal is to help make the sustainable choice an easier choice.
Creating opportunities for green jobs
Green jobs are needed more than ever as economies around the world combat and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our carbon-free plan will directly and indirectly enable new jobs, and we estimate that our commitment to 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy will directly generate over 2,000 new jobs in clean energy in Europe by 2025 and kick start an additional €2B of investment in future clean energy projects. The reforestation program will create job diversity in rural areas in Northern Spain and other regions with roles for nursery workers, drone mappers, ecologists, foresters, agriculture workers, planting crews, negotiators, and program managers.
We are also partnering with SolarPower Europe to offer introductory courses about the job opportunities in the solar sector through Grow with Google. These courses will be available in multiple languages across Europe.
Discover how we’re accelerating the transition to a circular economy
Learn moreLearn about Google’s ongoing support of water security and healthy ecosystems
See our commitments