Google and Amazon both reported large increases in greenhouse gas emissions for 2025, driven by the energy demands of AI data centers. Google's emissions rose 16% year over year, while Amazon's jumped 18%. Amazon now emits 80.85 million tons of CO2 equivalent, more than Austria or Greece. Google's chief sustainability officer said the AI buildout is accelerating faster than the grid can decarbonize. Both companies have climate pledges that now look harder to reach. Amazon aims for net zero by 2040. Google wants to cut 2019 level emissions in half by 2030. But data center electricity consumption is growing fast. A UN report found that if data centers were a country, they would rank 11th globally in electricity use. The article is worth reading for anyone tracking how AI infrastructure is colliding with corporate climate targets and grid decarbonization timelines.
