Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kate Brandt, explains why a CSO’s daily work is no longer confined to decarbonizing businesses. For Google, as part of the Race to Zero, this means providing individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments with high-quality information through products and platforms, and driving systemic change to accelerate climate action.
From Advocacy to Systemic Change
“Today, a Chief Sustainability Officer is not just managing decarbonization efforts,” Kate said. “We are the drivers of systemic change within the company, ensuring that sustainability becomes a core business priority. Our role is to foster collaboration across all departments, from product developers to accountants and legal teams, to drive climate action.”
Kate’s day-to-day work spans a wide range of business activities, from helping Maps users make more sustainable travel decisions to working with the research team using AI to predict floods and track wildfires to protect vulnerable communities. “Each day presents challenges, but also opportunities for me to bring insights that remove barriers and push our teams at Google to innovate and advance climate action,” she added.
From AI Solutions to Circular Innovation in Technology
Kate emphasized the crucial role of technology in global decarbonization. “New research shows that AI has the potential to help reduce 5-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” she explained. “At Google, we are leveraging AI to provide accurate climate event predictions and advancing sustainability solutions, such as helping drivers choose the most fuel-efficient routes.”
She further noted, “Beyond achieving our 24/7 carbon-free energy goal, we aim to help our partners and consumers reduce emissions. Technology should be more than just a tool—it should be a catalyst for positive social change.”
“We launched the ‘Eco-friendly routing’ feature to help drivers choose the most fuel-efficient routes. Since its launch in 2021, it has prevented over 2.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to taking 500,000 fuel-based cars off the road for a year,” Kate said with a satisfied smile.
She added, “We are also collaborating with American Airlines to use AI to reduce the warming effects of contrails, currently testing this solution in Western Europe’s busy airspace. We believe that through AI and technological breakthroughs, we can bring about more positive changes for the world.”
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