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Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

nationalobserver.com

11–20 of 183 posts

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#11
post #3

> “Running the global infrastructure behind our products and services, including AI, takes considerable energy,” said Google in its Environment 2025 report, which explained that it will be almost impossible to meet its erstwhile net-zero ambitions, partly due to its expansion in AI. Greed, greed, greed. They'd rather see the world burn than not be first in AI whatever that means. They could still achieve net zero, th…

They have a fiduciary duty to shareholders. Bailing on AI because they can't do that and also be net-zero is a good way to get sued.

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#12

To be somewhat pessimistic, these pledges always struck me as being fairweather, politically motivated, and deliberately gamed. That's not to say that it's meaningless there's definitely some good work being done, it's just that I don't think that work is all that connected to the pledges.

They were primarily motivated by ESG scores…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social,_and_gov...

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#14
post #9
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Capitalism is the most efficient system for resource allocation or something.

Do you have an example of an alternative economic system that is more efficient at resource allocation in practice, not just theory?

No alternatives have been tried on a global scale, so I don’t think anyone has the practical evidence you request.

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#17
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have an example of an alternative economic system that is more efficient at resource allocation in practice, not just theory?

No alternatives have been tried on a global scale, so I don’t think anyone has the practical evidence you request.

I think a large nation the size of the former Soviet Union or China should be enough to invalidate communism and centrally planned economies if that’s what you’re suggesting.

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#18
post #10

Meanwhile China is on track to install as much solar power in the past year as the US has in its entire history . The US has maintained steep tariffs on solar panels. Clean energy isn't even some virtuous thing, it's just no-brainer smart energy policy. The only reason for Google to be backpedaling on its pledge is political. It's in a backsliding petrostate and it has to play the political game.

Is there evidence that they are doing this to appease Trump? What if they wanted to do this anyway and recognize that at this time, they can use appeasement as a weaselly way to justify it.

I'm not sure we're going to find a smoking gun here -- like an executive saying this was removed because it made MAGAs irrationally angry, say.

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#19
I think there's less to this than meets the eye.

Previously, on https://sustainability.google/operating-sustainably/:

"We've set a goal to achieve net-zero emissions across all of our operations and value chain by 2030." and, in a table later, "Reduce 50% of our combined Scope 1, 2 (market-based), and 3 absolute emissions by 2030. Invest in nature-based and technology-based carbon removal solutions to neutralize our remaining emissions." and "Run on 24/7 carbon-free energy on every grid where we operate by 2030."

Now, in their 2025 Environmental Report at https://sustainability.google/reports/google-2025-environmen...:

"We aim to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy on every grid where we operate by 2030." and "We aim to reduce absolute, combined scope 1, 2 (market-based), and 3 emissions by 50% from a 2019 base year by 2030." (They also restate the thing about "to neutralize our remaining emissions" a bit later in the document.)

Exactly the same stated goals, just written in a different place. There's more hedging around it now: they call it a "moonshot" and say that they might not manage it, but they never actually promised to do it before.

Re: Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website

#20
post #11
post #3

> “Running the global infrastructure behind our products and services, including AI, takes considerable energy,” said Google in its Environment 2025 report, which explained that it will be almost impossible to meet its erstwhile net-zero ambitions, partly due to its expansion in AI. Greed, greed, greed. They'd rather see the world burn than not be first in AI whatever that means. They could still achieve net zero, th…

They have a fiduciary duty to shareholders. Bailing on AI because they can't do that and also be net-zero is a good way to get sued.

Don’t the shareholders benefit from having an earth worth investing in that isn’t falling apart from climate catastrophe in a few decades?
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