Google to Remove 25,000t of Superpollutants by 2030

Google has entered agreements with Recoolit and Cool Effect to support the removal of over 25,000t of superpollutants by 2030. The partnerships are part of Google’s ongoing efforts to address its carbon emissions, which rose by 13% from 2022 to 2023, largely due to the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence and a shift in carbon offsetting strategies.

Amanda Peterson, Global Head of Data Center Energy, Google, emphasized the company’s commitment to enhancing power grids where it operates and highlighted the potential of advanced nuclear technology in supporting its clean energy goals. “Advanced nuclear technology provides reliable, baseload, 24/7 energy,” she said. 

The partnerships aim to reduce superpollutants that have a significant warming impact, including methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, which are more potent than CO2 in warming the atmosphere. Google’s collaboration with Recoolit involves the company’s efforts in Indonesia, where it works with HVAC technicians to capture and destroy HFCs from residential and commercial cooling systems. The partnership will help Recoolit scale its operations by 10 times and expand into other regions.

Meanwhile, Cool Effect will use Google’s financial support to help a partner in Brazil install methane destruction equipment at a landfill in Cuiabá. Google has committed to purchasing carbon credits generated from both projects as part of its broader strategy to support carbon removal solutions rather than relying on carbon offsetting alone.

As part of its broader sustainability efforts, the company has invested heavily in carbon removal, contracting over US$100 million in carbon removal credits in 2024. It has also signed several other agreements, such as one with Charm Industrial to purchase 100,000t of carbon removal credits and another with biocarbon startup Varaha. These agreements reflect Google’s strategy to accelerate the scale of carbon removal efforts in line with its decarbonization objectives.

“We will ensure these projects meet high standards of certainty and additionality, and we will be transparent about their impact on the atmosphere,” stated Randy Spock, Lead for Carbon Credits and Removals, Google.