Google, Microsoft, and Amazon collective carbon emissions rose to 119 million tons, equivalent to a third of France's total
The combined greenhouse gas emissions of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google rose by nearly a fifth last year, driven by datacentre expansion for AI training. For the fiscal year ending March 2026, their emissions reached 119 million tonnes, equivalent to a third of France's total annual emissions. In the previous fiscal year, the companies emitted 101 million tonnes, matching Czechia's 2024 emissions. Despite their net-zero targets for 2030 and 2040, the tech giants are seeing their carbon footprints surge. Microsoft's emissions rose by 25% to 20 million tonnes, Google's by 18%, and Amazon's by 16%. Professor Cecilia Rikap criticized the companies' claims, stating: "Claims by Microsoft, Amazon and Google about their clouds being ecologically friendly and sustainable are a marketing strategy." She argued that cloud migration merely shifts carbon footprints to these tech giants.
Datacentres drive up big tech’s carbon emissions to a third of those of France