Google's Net-Zero Retreat Amid AI Growth: A Critical Analysis of Corporate Sustainability, Ethics, and Stakeholder Management

This presentation presents a critical analysis of Google's strategic retreat from its 2030 net-zero emissions commitment, a decision driven by the immense energy demands of its artificial intelligence (AI) expansion. It diagnoses a fundamental and systemic conflict between Google's economic model, which is predicated on continuous infrastructure growth for AI, and its environmental goals. The analysis reveals a 48% increase in greenhouse gas emissions since 2019, demonstrating the Jevons Paradox in action, where efficiency gains are overwhelmed by scale expansion. Through a multi-framework assessment, the study finds Google's actions constitute ethical failures across utilitarian, deontological, and virtue ethics frameworks, alongside a violation of stakeholder theory principles. It identifies critical governance deficiencies—including accountability gaps, inadequate board oversight, and transparency deficits—that enabled the quiet abandonment of its climate pledge. The presentation further evaluates the misalignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting a critical failure in SDG 13 (Climate Action). The report concludes that this case is a cautionary tale of systemic corporate failure, where market pressures for AI dominance trump voluntary sustainability commitments. It proposes a comprehensive set of strategic recommendations, including structural governance reforms, enhanced transparency, and business model innovation, to restore credibility and chart a viable pathway for reconciling technological advancement with planetary responsibility.