Where tech companies use ‘creative accounting’ to offset in-house data center emissions

Scope 2 emissions – those associated with the purchase of electricity. In millions of metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

Amazon 5.6x higher

Official emissions

Location-based

actual emissions

Data not

disclosed

before 2022

Gap

Increases are

from 2023

2020

21

22

23

Microsoft 21x higher

Google 2.7x higher

15

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Meta 3,100x higher

Apple 402x higher

15

Meta and Apple’s

official emissions

were under

0.01 million tons

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Amazon 5.6x higher

Official emissions

Location-based

actual emissions

Data not

disclosed

before 2022

Gap

Increases are

from 2023

2020

21

22

23

Microsoft 21x higher

Google 2.7x higher

15

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Meta 3,100x higher

Apple 402x higher

15

Meta and Apple’s

official emissions

were under

0.01 million tons

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Amazon 5.6x higher

Official emissions

Location-based

actual emissions

Data not

disclosed

before 2022

Gap

Increases are

from 2023

2020

21

22

23

Microsoft 21x higher

Google 2.7x higher

15

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Meta 3,100x higher

Apple 402x higher

15

Meta and Apple’s

official emissions

were under

0.01 million tons

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Amazon 5.6x higher

Google 2.7x higher

15

Official emissions

Location-based

actual emissions

Data not

disclosed

before 2022

10

Gap

5

Increases are

from 2023

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Microsoft 21x higher

Apple 402x higher

Meta 3,100x higher

15

Meta and Apple’s

official emissions

were under

0.01 million tons

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Amazon 5.6x higher

Google 2.7x higher

15

Official emissions

Location-based

actual emissions

Data not

disclosed

before 2022

10

Gap

5

Increases are

from 2023

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

Microsoft 21x higher

Apple 402x higher

Meta 3,100x higher

15

Meta and Apple’s

official emissions

were under

0.01 million tons

10

5

0

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23

2020

21

22

23