Five years ago, Google’s climate action ambitions were the gold standard for Big Tech. Then, with power demand spikes from AI data centres, in July it scrubbed its sustainability website of its 2030 net zero pledge.
Pledges are a way of taking credit in the present for doing/not doing something in the future. It never surprises me to see them renege on a pledge. They have no accountability outside a bit of momentary flack that will be swiftly swept under the rug (or dealt with by a reputation management firm) before business will resume uninterrupted.
Pledges are a way of taking credit in the present for doing/not doing something in the future. It never surprises me to see them renege on a pledge. They have no accountability outside a bit of momentary flack that will be swiftly swept under the rug (or dealt with by a reputation management firm) before business will resume uninterrupted.