Did you know that Google is carbon neutral? It’s true. They reached carbon neutrality in 2007 by purchasing carbon offsets. Now, to combat climate change, Google has a new goal in mind: They want to help other companies go green, too. There are two ways Google feels it can do this:

1.) By creating tools that can measure and report carbon emissions related to cloud services.

2.) Through Google Earth Engine satellite imagery and geospatial data platform that businesses can use.

Using the Google Cloud to Go Green.

While these programs have typically been consumer-driven, businesses want in. They feel using Google’s platform can help them find ways to reduce their own emissions.

According to Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, “Every CEO I talk to is focused on sustainability. And so, using Google Cloud to help them make that transition is a real innovation opportunity.”

Since Google has updated its tools to help customers find data centers that use less carbon, customers opt for the green choice 50% of the time.

Why Companies Want to Go Green.

So what is the driving force behind companies wanting to go green? Renewed commitments to the Paris Agreement and the upcoming COP26 summit. Both have fueled interest in the carbon credit industry as well. Since carbon offsets have played a significant role in helping Google become carbon neutral, companies have noticed.

If you combine carbon offsets with Google’s innovation, net-zero goals for Google (by 2030) and the world (by 2050) seem much more in reach.

London-based entrepreneur David Mytton said that Google isn’t “claiming that everything is great and 100% renewable right now. They’re saying, ‘this is where we’re at, this is where we’re going to get to.”

The more companies that join Google on this green journey, the better.