Riccardo Liguori According to a new Google report, AI promises great benefits for the climate and European competitiveness, but consumes too much energy and water. Transparency and a change of direction are needed to prevent the cure from worsening the disease
The European Union is racing to become carbon neutral by 2050, aiming to balance sustainability with economic competitiveness. Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to a recent policy paper titled “The AI Opportunity for Europe’s Climate Goals – A Policy Roadmap”, published on April 8, 2025, could be a game-changer: AI technologies could help slash global greenhouse gas emissions by 5–10% by 2030—roughly equivalent to the EU’s entire annual output. But if mismanaged, this same technology could backfire and deepen the environmental crisis.
Google’s AI ambitions are incompatible with its climate goals”
Google is among the tech giants placing their bets on sustainable innovation. The company claims to have been carbon neutral since 2007 and, since 2017, has matched 100% of its energy use with renewable sources. By 2030, Google aims to run entirely on carbon-free energy. However, the path from commitment to execution is proving complicated.
In 2023 alone, emissions from Google’s data centers surged 48% compared to 2019. The main driver? Generative AI systems like Gemini, powering tools such as Earth, Gmail, Docs, and Search. These models require massive computing power, which translates into intense energy and water usage.
In 2021, Google’s data centers used 5.6 billion gallons of water for cooling. That number has likely increased. In The Dalles, Oregon—home to one of Google’s major data hubs—local communities have raised concerns over the pressure on water supplies, especially during droughts.
The irony is striking: AI could help combat climate change, yet its current implementation risks accelerating it. This contradiction is echoed by researcher Fieke Jansen from the DATACTIVE project at the University of Amsterdam:
“Google’s AI ambitions are incompatible with its climate goals. you can’t increase emissions and call yourself sustainable.”
AI’s environmental cost remains largely hidden
The problem isn’t just how much energy AI consumes—it’s also about how little we know. Google, like other tech giants, fails to provide disaggregated data on the energy and water consumption of AI-specific applications. This lack of transparency makes it nearly impossible to measure the true environmental footprint of platforms like Gemini.
The European Commission, recognizing the urgency, proposes a three-pronged approach: enable, deploy, and govern. That means investing in the infrastructure needed for sustainable AI, promoting its use across sectors like energy, transport, industry, and agriculture, and enforcing rules to minimize environmental risks.
Massive economic gains—if we stay on course
If used responsibly, AI could cut energy use in Europe’s industrial buildings by up to 40% and generate $1.3 trillion in economic value over the next decade. But the direction matters as much as the destination.
Google, for its part, has launched a few initiatives with DeepMind to reduce AI’s environmental burden—such as architecture optimization and smarter workload scheduling. Still, these are modest steps in the face of AI’s explosive growth.
Big tech’s ai race is fueling a sustainability gap
Google is far from alone. Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon are also embedding generative AI into their platforms, driving up energy demand worldwide. This global race is rapidly widening the gap between digital innovation and environmental sustainability.
Bridging that gap means acting now: we need full transparency on AI-related emissions, enforceable regulations, and major investments in zero-emission infrastructure.
As Jansen puts it:
“tech companies can’t rely on offsetting goals or vague 2030 promises. they need to prove now that their models are truly sustainable.”
AI could be a powerful ally in the climate fight—but without accountability, it risks becoming just another part of the problem.
