Helping build a more sustainable future for everyone

Increasing numbers of people are thinking about how they can live in more sustainable ways. Searches for “solar energy”, “electric bicycles”, and “electric cars'' reached an all-time high in 2022. These kinds of changes to lifestyles and behavior matter—the IEA estimates that around 55% of the cumulative emissions reductions needed to achieve a global net-zero energy system by 2050 are linked to consumer choices. We’re focused on empowering consumers with better information for more sustainable choices, especially for higher carbon-impact decisions like home energy and transportation.

• Providing access to credible information

  When people search for “climate change” in certain languages on Google Search, they can find information panels and visual results on the causes and effects of climate change, and individual actions they can take to live more sustainably, provided by authoritative sources like the United Nations.

  Features on Search and Maps make it easier than ever for people to find nearby recycling points by pinpointing local businesses with the in-store and drop-off recycling they need.

• Helping people reduce home energy emissions and save cost

  When users search for high-impact home products like appliances on Google Search and Shopping in the United States, they can find suggestions for greener options. This can not only lower emissions but also help users save money on energy costs.

  Nest Renew helps people with compatible Nest thermostats automatically shift heating and cooling electricity usage to times when local grid electricity is cleaner or less expensive.

• Empowering people with options for more sustainable transportation

  Eco-friendly routing on Google Maps optimizes for lower fuel or battery consumption based on factors such as traffic and road incline. Google is also making it easier for users to figure out if an EV is right for them. Drivers can see estimated costs, range, and charging speeds for each model, as well as compatible charging stations nearby. Additionally, drivers can get customized routes based on their engine type, as well as emissions estimates to enable comparison with other models.

  Users can quickly identify flights that emit less CO2 with Google Flights, and compare the environmental impact of different options, such as trains, while also weighing price and convenience. And, users can search for hotels that have earned eco-certifications or committed to meaningful environmentally-sustainable practices.

By innovating together—from cities and governments to companies and nonprofits—we’re able to make quicker progress on solutions that advance climate progress than any of us could alone.

Environmental Insights Explorer helps cities and regions measure emissions sources, run analyses, and identify strategies to reduce emissions, and has since expanded to more than 40,000 cities and regions worldwide.

For our Google Cloud customers, we’re providing powerful insights to help companies around the world transform their operations and value chains to reduce their environmental impact. Google Earth Engine on Google Cloud gives businesses and governments the ability to analyze planetary-level satellite data—it’s a technology that’s enabling global businesses to raise sustainable sourcing standards for partners such as their suppliers.

In partnership with frontline organizations, we’re using AI to help people adapt to environmental changes with tools like flood forecasting and wildfire detection, and we’re building technology to help communities impacted by extreme heat.

We are also investing in bold ideas to drive climate action through initiatives such as our $30M Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate Innovation and our $25M in funding to AI for the Global Goals, which will use AI to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Lastly, we’re open-sourcing our models and platforms wherever we can, including supporting the Data Commons project, to ensure climate information is as widely and publicly accessible as possible as part of an open, global internet.

Our work on sustainability started with our own operations, and we’ve worked hard to lead by example, with the ultimate goal of driving larger systems change. We set ambitious sustainability goals. We share the innovations we create and the lessons we learn with others, so we can help accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon and sustainable future.

By 2030, we aim to achieve net-zero emissions across all of our operations and value chain and replenish 120% of the freshwater volume we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers. Our net-zero goal is supported by an ambitious goal to achieve 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) on every grid where we operate by 2030.

In 2022, we opened our Bay View campus that is all-electric and net water-positive, and it also supports our net zero-goal, including a first-of-its-kind dragonscale solar skin and nearby wind farms that are expected to help it operate on 90% CFE.

We also are working to build a circular Google—helping speed up the transition to an economy in which businesses create environmental, economic, and community value through the maximum reuse of finite resources.