Introduction Empowering individuals Working together Operating sustainably Governance and engagement Appendix 2023 Environmental Repo爀琀 Our ambition Our approach Every day, billions of people turn to Google to ask FIGURE 1 At Google, we have an oppo爀琀unity to lead the transition to a more sustainable future questions, discover something new, or learn about what’s See hybrid and electric vehicle options on Google Search by making information accessible and by impo爀琀ant to them. More people are interested in how to When people search for car models and brands, we tag hybrid and electric options to make them easier to 昀椀nd. live more sustainably than ever, and our aim is to make it driving innovation forward. Grounded in And when people look into a speci昀椀c EV, we show compatible charging stations nearby and typical charge times. easier for them to do so. In 2022, searches for our mission, we’re empowering people with “solar energy,” “electric bicycles,” and the high-quality information they’re looking “electric cars” reached all-time highs. 23 for. Through our products and pla琀昀orms that billions of users engage with every day, These kinds of changes to lifestyles and behavior ma琀琀er: we’re helping people make decisions that the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that can drive positive action for our planet. around 55% of the cumulative emissions reductions needed to achieve a net-zero global energy system by 2050 are linked to consumer choices. Yet, there’s a wide Last year’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “say-do gap” among consumers—between those who are (IPCC) AR6 Working Group 3 Repo爀琀, for the 昀椀rst time, concerned about sustainability, and those who ultimately set out measurable ways that individuals can take  24 make sustainable decisions. meaningful climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. The IPCC repo爀琀 o昀昀ers a detailed and practical plan To tackle a problem at the scale of climate change, it for societal emissions reduction, complementing the can be hard to know where to sta爀琀. That’s why we’ve critical action required by governments, policymakers, taken a 昀椀rst-principles approach, looking at what’s and organizations to decarbonize energy, transpo爀琀, and contributing the most to global emissions. Home energy material systems. The repo爀琀 also calculates the signi昀椀cant and transpo爀琀ation are two such areas—collectively well-being and economic bene昀椀ts that will result from  25 they account for more than 20% of emissions. They’re these actions, including for individuals. also sectors where people are actively searching for sustainable alternatives that o昀琀en provide bene昀椀ts like These impo爀琀ant 昀椀ndings have reinforced our conviction saving them money or time, or improving their health. that Google can make a meaningful di昀昀erence beyond our own operations and value chain, and they highlight The accuracy and quality of the information that informs the bene昀椀ts of helping individuals through our products these decisions is critical. When people come to us and pla琀昀orms. looking for answers, we aim to provide high-quality and authoritative information. 13