TY  - JOUR
AU  - Fraser, Christopher
AU  - Hill, Genia
AU  - Dargusch, Paul
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/06/16
TI  - Meeting the Net Zero Emissions Challenge – Alphabet’s Carbon Management Actions and Opportunities
JO  - Advances in Environmental and Engineering Research
SP  - 026
VL  - 03
IS  - 02
AB  - The first step in managing an entity’s carbon emissions involves measurement as ‘what gets measured gets managed’ and measurement lies at the heart of carbon management. The study of carbon management is important to all stakeholders as it enables calculation of emissions that can help determine opportunities for emissions reductions to address climate change which can improve energy efficiency and brand reputation. Alphabet is an interesting company to study given its main commercial activities relate to the development and use of information technology and provision of online services. It relies heavily on online advertising for its revenue but also develops new technologies to make its operations more efficient which also have commercial applications. Also, although not directly involved in manufacturing hardware, its hardware suppliers and products generate significant emissions through their manufacturing and lifecycles. Alphabet, formerly Google, claims to have net zero emissions through carbon management by improving efficiency, purchases of renewable energy and offsets since 2007. As of 2019, their operational emissions were 5.7M t CO2e which they managed to reduce for the 3rd year in a row to zero. Alphabet will solely use carbon-free energy to power their operations by 2030 through investment in renewable energy. Furthermore, they plan to invest in renewable energy projects in regions where their suppliers operate. Carbon management and addressing climate change is a challenge to Alphabet but it also provides it with opportunities through commercialisation and expansion of their technologies. This paper contributes to the field by reviewing how Alphabet estimate and reduce their reportable emissions and, in the process, create commercial opportunities for their technologies. The paper also highlights how a limited range of emissions are reported by Alphabet. 
SN  - 2766-6190
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/aeer.2202026
DO  - 10.21926/aeer.2202026
ID  - Fraser2022
ER  -