Google, Amazon emissions rise sharply, driven by AI boom
Key takeaways
- US tech giants Google and Amazon have reported a strong increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2025.
- "Our AI infrastructure buildout is currently accelerating faster than the grid is decarbonizing," said Kate Brandt, Google's chief sustainability officer.
- The company's report for 2025, released on Tuesday, came just a day before Amazon published its own figures, showing an 18% risecompared to 2024.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
US tech giants Google and Amazon have reported a strong increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2025. AI data centers are behind the rise, challenging the companies' climate pledges.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GWx4AI data centers are a key culprit behind companies' growing energy and resource consumption (File photo: April 2026)Image: Steven Heap/Zoonar/picture alliance Advertisement Google warned that reaching its climate goals was "getting harder" amid the AI boom, with the business reporting a 16% annual jump in its carbon emissions.
"Our AI infrastructure buildout is currently accelerating faster than the grid is decarbonizing," said Kate Brandt, Google's chief sustainability officer.