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Google has expanded its Carbon Footprint feature for Google Workspace, allowing admins to now track and analyze their electricity usage. This update follows the announcement at Google Cloud Next ’23 and comes through a new partnership with Electricity Maps. This company offers an API that provides real-time and predictive data on electricity consumption.
Previously, only top-level admins had access to carbon footprint information. The new feature now allows for custom roles to be created with access to this data within Workspace, giving more flexibility in managing environmental impact.
As cloud computing and AI have led to increased carbon emissions in the tech industry, Google’s move to incorporate the Electricity Maps API is a step towards helping companies monitor their energy use and reduce emissions.
However, there’s a critical point missing in the announcement: Google itself is a major contributor to climate change due to its extensive cloud storage and AI operations. The company’s role in this issue could overshadow the benefits of the new tool for its users. Google has pledged to be “carbon-free” by 2030, aiming to reduce emissions and adopt nature-based solutions. If Google meets this goal, it would show a genuine commitment to tackling its own environmental impact, rather than just shifting the responsibility onto its customers.