GREEN INITIATIVES
Taking action is something that Google has always done , with its approach coming in the form of technology and innovation . As it pursues climate action , Google is working on achieving net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2030 , leading by example while making solutions available for others .
For example , Google Cloud ’ s Climate Insights tools help public sector agencies improve climate resilience , which underscores the vital role governments play in understanding and responding to climate change and providing the actionable insights they need to respond quickly .
Google : Three decades of technology and sustainability Google set an example from an early stage that major corporations can unlock sustainability goals through technological innovation while also working toward their own .
A decade later , Google achieved another milestone by matching 100 % of its energy use with renewable energy – making itself the world ’ s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy .
And as it moves through its third decade of climate action , bolder initiatives follow . As well as working to achieve net zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2030 , it has committed to , as Adam explains , “ sourcing clean energy locally every hour of every single day ”, so its data centres and campuses worldwide can fully operate on carbon-free energy .
“ We have a raft of other ambitious goals and we ’ re really clear on the goals that we ’ re focused on ,” he says . “ We ’ re also focused on building and working with others to use AI to help others on that journey .”
This journey has gained momentum , Adam believes , as organisations and governments integrate sustainability further into their operations , rather than it being a side project .
Across his career at Google – as well as his sustainability roles at Marks & Spencer , Amazon and at plastic packaging manufacturer Klöckner Pentaplast – Adam has observed that businesses are acting on sustainability and leveraging technology to do so . not just because regulation has been introduced , but because it makes business sense , creates viable opportunities and is morally and ethically the right thing to do .
“ I ’ ve been working in the sustainability space for coming up to two decades now ,” he says . “ The exciting thing for me is that it has really moved from what used to be a small team on the side of the business to being integrated .”
148 March 2025