Google, one of the world’s foremost tech-providers, announced that it will not be building customised artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to help oil and gas companies with fossil fuel extraction. This move renews Google’s commitment to a cleaner climate and a greener future, less dependent on fossil fuels. 

Google’s move, first reported by OneZero last week, is in line with the release of a Greenpeace report ‘Oil in the Cloud: How Tech Companies are Helping Big Oil Profit from Climate Destruction’. The report, released after Google’s announcement, unravels how major tech players like Google, Amazon and Microsoft work with the big oil and gas producers and build AI technology to help the later to find, extract, refine and distribute fossil fuels. 

Ironically, all three companies have ambitious climate goals. The Greenpeace report states that “Contracts between tech firms and oil and gas companies are now found in every phase of the oil and gas production chain and are significantly undermining the climate commitments that Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have made.” 

While Google’s statement to Forbes clarifies that it will no longer work with the big oil and gas companies in the future, the company will honour the ongoing contracts. The Forbes report also states that the companies will also be allowed to use “Google’s cloud computing platform to run their IT operations or store data.” 

The oil and gas companies account for less than 1% of Google Cloud’s revenue with an income of $ 65 million in the year 2019, as stated by Google’s spokesperson.

Microsoft too responded to the Greenpeace report. While making no such solid commitments such as Google has, it did release a statement on its blog, emphasising on its commitment to become carbon negative by 2030. “ We agree that the world confronts an urgent carbon problem and we all must do more and move faster to reach a net zero-carbon future. The reality is that the world’s energy currently comes from fossil fuels and, as standards of living around the world improve, the world will require even more energy,” reasoned the blog, while stating, “We’re up for the challenge. That’s why we have committed to be carbon negative by 2030.” Amazon declined to comment on the report.