Why Big Tech Is Going Greener

Amazon and Google have each announced massive initiatives to reduce their carbon footprints. It’s good business and good publicity.

By Alexandra HartSeptember 23, 2019 12:17 pm, ,

Last Friday, millions of people across the globe rallied to bring attention to climate change. Four million people took to the streets, according to some estimates. And just in time for the rallies, two tech companies announced major new initiatives they say will reduce emissions.

Matt Smith is director of commodity research at ClipperData. He says Google has made the largest corporate purchase of renewable energy ever, at a cost of $2 billion. Smith says Google was the first company to fully offset its electricity consumption with renewable sources. But as the company has grown, it must increase its use of those energy sources to maintain the balance, he says. The company’s $2 billion purchase is equivalent to providing solar panels for 1 million homes.

Meanwhile, Amazon plans to purchase 100,000 electric vans to replace its current fleet. Amazon has also said it will meet the terms of the Paris climate accord – the 2015 agreement the U.S. pulled out of in 2017, after President Donald Trump took office. 

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– What it means when a company “offsets” its energy consumption

– How Amazon plans to meet Paris climate accord requirements

– Why companies are increasingly launching so-called clean energy initiatives 

 

Written by Shelly Brisbin.