Three years ago, Google launched an ambitious plan to address climate change by achieving "net-zero emissions," which means that by 2030, its emissions of climate-warming gases into the atmosphere would not exceed its removals. However, a report released by the company on Tuesday shows that it is still far from achieving this goal. Compared to last year, its emissions increased by 13% in 2023. This represents a 48% increase compared to the 2019 baseline. Google attributed the growth in emissions last year to artificial intelligence and its demand for data centers, which consume a significant amount of electricity. Power generation through the burning of coal or natural gas results in greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane, which contribute to global warming and more extreme weather. Google has made one of the most significant climate commitments in the industry and has been regarded as a leader in this field. Lisa Sachs, Director of the Center on Sustainable Investment at Columbia University, suggests that Google should establish more partnerships with cleaner companies and invest in the power grid. "The reality is that we are far behind in advancing the transition given the technologies and resources we have available now," she said. Kate Brandt, Google's Chief Sustainability Officer, acknowledged in an interview with the Associated Press that achieving the net-zero emissions goal by 2030 is an extremely ambitious target. "We know it's not easy, and our approach needs to continue to evolve," Brandt added. "This requires us to address many uncertainties, including the environmental impact of artificial intelligence in the future." Some experts argue that rapidly expanding data centers, which power artificial intelligence, pose a threat to the transition to clean energy, a crucial component in addressing climate change. This is because new data centers may delay the closure of fossil fuel power plants or even lead to the construction of new ones. Data centers not only consume a significant amount of energy but also require high-voltage transmission lines and large amounts of water for cooling. Additionally, they generate noise. They are typically built in locations with the cheapest electricity prices rather than in areas where renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, is the primary source. According to data from the International Energy Agency, the global electricity demand of data centers and artificial intelligence could double by 2026. The sustainability plans of other major tech companies are also challenged by the surge in data centers. Microsoft, in its environmental sustainability report released in May, stated that its emissions increased by 29% compared to the 2020 baseline. Tech companies believe that artificial intelligence, including tools like ChatGPT, not only contributes to climate change to some extent but also helps address it. For example, in the case of Google, this could mean using data to predict future floods or making traffic flow more smoothly to save gasoline. Amanda Smith, Senior Scientist at the climate non-profit organization "Project Drawdown," emphasizes that users of artificial intelligence, whether they are large corporations or individuals creating memes, need to use it responsibly, only when it benefits society. "We, as humans, have a responsibility to pay attention to what we're doing and question why we're doing it," Smith added. "When it's worth it, we can ensure that these needs are met with clean energy." Part of the reason for Google's emissions growth last year was its increased energy consumption, using 25,910 billion kilowatt-hours more than the previous year. This increase exceeded the previous year's increase and was more than double the number of hours consumed four years ago. One hundred million kilowatt-hours is roughly equivalent to the electricity generated by a power plant supplying hundreds of thousands of households for one hour. On the positive side, as Google's consumption grows, its utilization of renewable energy is also increasing. The company stated that by 2030, it will meet the enormous global demand for electricity every hour of every day using only clean energy. Google reported that the average share of carbon-free energy in its global data centers and offices reached 64% last year. The company also claimed that its data centers have an average energy efficiency that is 1.8 times higher than other companies in the industry. Sachs from Columbia University praised Google's ambition and honesty but expressed her hope that "Google engages in deeper conversations with us to explore how to accelerate" the progress of clean energy during the climate crisis "to prevent the situation from getting worse."