How Google Cloud measures its climate impact through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Google is working to reduce the carbon intensity of its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts through optimizing software, improving hardware efficiency, and supporting operations with carbon-free energy. To understand its environmental impact, Google uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a process-analysis method that evaluates the environmental impact of a product-system or service throughout its entire life cycle. LCA enables Google to measure emissions along every step of its hardware manufacturing, identify sources of emissions, and track progress towards global net-zero emissions. The Google Cloud Carbon Footprinting team has developed a best-in-class LCA approach to evaluate the embodied carbon emissions associated with the supply chain of its data center hardware. This approach is consistent with global LCA standards and has been critically reviewed by Fraunhofer IZM to ensure completeness, accuracy, and adherence to industry standards. Google is pioneering the development of highly configurable Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) models by collaborating with supply chain partners, academic leaders, and industry peers. This approach empowers Google to move beyond generic assessments and unlock detailed, customized environmental insights for vital components. Google is also driving standardization in the hardware industry by participating in a collaborative effort to develop consistent LCA guidelines. A recent LCA study on Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) showed a 3x improvement in carbon-efficiency of AI workload over two generations, highlighting the importance of LCA studies in understanding and reducing the carbon footprint of hardware. Through its advancements in LCA, Google is driving meaningful, measurable progress towards a more resilient future.