As Google has rushed to incorporate artificial intelligence into its core products — with sometimes less-than-stellar results — a problem has been brewing behind the scenes: the systems needed to power its AI tools have vastly increased the company's greenhouse gas emissions.
AI systems need lots of computers to make them work. The data centers needed to run them, essentially warehouses full of powerful computing equipment, suck up tons of energy to process data and manage the heat all of those computers produce.
The end result has been that Google's greenhouse gas emissions have soared 48% since 2019, according to the tech giant's annual environment report. Google blamed that growth mainly on "increased data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions."
Read more at the link in our bio.
📷: Mike Kai Chen/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File
The UK’s Construction Products Reform consultation signals a firm shift towards accountability in sustainable construction. Its White Paper proposes stricter verification of claims, improving reliability in environmental product declarations (EPDs) and sustainable material specification. Stronger oversight of embodied carbon in materials and transparent disclosure of the carbon footprint of construction products aim to strengthen trust and support net zero carbon goals. Aligning supply chains with whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment practices will promote resource efficiency in construction while driving measurable reductions in embodied carbon.
Global finance is aligning with environmental sustainability in construction. The Green Climate Fund’s regional hubs will streamline investment into sustainable building design and climate‑resilient infrastructure. This approach encourages low carbon construction materials and net zero whole life carbon delivery, building confidence among financiers seeking credible, verifiable outcomes. Firms that adopt life cycle thinking in construction and track life cycle cost performance are better positioned to attract green funding and participate in circular economy models.
Decarbonisation on sites is advancing. JCB’s 100% biodiesel plant option illustrates tangible progress in reducing Scope 1 emissions, providing an immediate low carbon design alternative while electric and hydrogen systems mature. Practical deployment of eco‑friendly construction equipment supports the wider transition toward carbon neutral construction and minimises the environmental impact of construction operations.
The UK’s £100 million programme for walking and cycling infrastructure highlights how incremental green infrastructure projects deliver sustainable urban development benefits with low embodied carbon. Thousands of small‑scale upgrades contribute to eco‑design for buildings and streets, reinforcing the circular economy in construction and demonstrating low‑impact construction strategies.
Across all sectors, execution now outweighs rhetoric. Firms that deliver verifiable whole life carbon reductions, quantify the carbon footprint of construction, and integrate circular construction strategies into building lifecycle performance will lead the next phase of green construction and sustainable design.
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