data center emissions soar 662% above big tech claims

A recent analysis by the Guardian reveals that emissions from the in-house data centers of major tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple, are significantly underestimated. From 2020 to 2022, these emissions are likely 662% higher than the figures reported by these companies. This discrepancy raises concerns as energy demands for data centers are projected to increase by 160% by 2030, leading to further carbon emissions growth. The use of renewable energy certificates (Recs) has been identified as a key factor in this misleading reporting. Companies purchase Recs to claim they are using renewable energy, but the energy does not necessarily come from their own facilities. This practice has led to a debate over the accuracy of emissions reporting, with experts advocating for location-based metrics as a more honest approach. Meta and Microsoft have been particularly criticized for their reporting gaps, with Meta's location-based emissions for data centers vastly exceeding its official figures. For instance, Meta reported 273 metric tons of CO2 equivalent for 2022, while the actual number under location-based accounting is over 3.8 million metric tons. This highlights the significant underreporting of emissions associated with data centers. Additionally, many tech companies rely on third-party data centers, which complicates emissions accounting. While these emissions fall under scope 3, the lack of transparency in reporting makes it difficult to assess the true environmental impact of these firms. The findings underscore the need for more accurate emissions reporting and accountability in the tech industry.