Technology and Science · 02 July, 2026 · 2 min read
Google and Amazon Report Rising Emissions as AI Energy Use Drives Carbon Increases
AI-driven data-center growth pushed 2025 emissions higher for Google and Amazon. Amazon emissions rose 16% in 2025.
Interpretation of what the articles primarily “prove” about AI and climate.
11 of 12 outlets skipped it: one source highlights a smartphone without trackers (Murena)..
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MMezha. Novini Ukrainy
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One frames hypocrisy; the other frames mechanism and constraints.
AI boosts emissions at Google
Google and Amazon reported rising emissions tied to AI energy use, with Google disclosing overall emissions rose by 25% compared to the previous year and Amazon reporting a 16% increase. The sustainability reports described carbon intensity rising as emissions per dollar of revenue increased, while both companies pointed to dependence on energy use driven by AI and the need to reevaluate strategies. The data also highlighted Scope 3 emissions as the largest contribution to the growth, with Google’s Scope 3 emissions rising by 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent and now exceeding twice the level of 2019.
In Amazon’s case, the rise in Scope 3 was mainly related to capital goods and fuels and energy, including data centers and warehouses, as the company expanded capacity for AI workloads. The reports framed the challenge as decarbonization becoming harder as AI technologies boosted demand for electricity, complicating efforts to meet net-zero emissions goals.
Briefs Finance
Межа. Новини України.Targets collide with data centers
MobileSyrup said Google’s emissions rose by 18 per cent in 2025, attributing the increase in part to an expanded data centre network, while Amazon’s emissions rose 16 per cent last year for similar reasons. MGeekWire reported that Amazon’s carbon footprint jumped 16% last year and that the company emitted nearly 80.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025. GeekWire also said Amazon reported an uptick in its “carbon intensity” and remained committed to its pledge of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, even as energy use showed the biggest rate of increase.
In the same reporting, Kara Hurst, Amazon’s chief sustainability officer, wrote in the foreword that “I remain confident and optimistic in the overarching vision and the long-term progress we continue to make toward it,” tying the pledge to continued investment. The emissions increases were linked to AI-driven expansion of data center capacity, with GeekWire noting that the company’s buildout keeps complicating its path to lower emissions.
Pressure for oversight and rules
Beyond emissions, a separate Reuters-viewed letter described a push by audiovisual groups to regulate smart TV operating systems and set-top boxes under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). PhonAndroid reported that a lobby of audiovisual groups including TF1 and Canal+ urged the EU to apply the DMA principles to major players in Smart TVs, warning that platforms could entrench power and dictate unfair demands. The letter, addressed to Teresa Ribera, European Commissioner for Competition, said the Commission was examining its contents after confirming it received ACT’s letter, and it could launch a procedure to bring connected-TV device systems under the DMA.
PhonAndroid also said ACT warned that platforms have an interest in keeping users within their own ecosystems and could restrict links and redirects from one multimedia app to another, contractually or technically. In parallel, the emissions reporting framed the stakes for Google and Amazon as whether they can meet net-zero pledges as AI infrastructure build out accelerates faster than the grid is decarbonizing.