Big tech's carbon emissions rise to third of France's output

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Microsoft, Amazon, and Google’s collective carbon emissions have increased by nearly a fifth in the past year, driven largely by datacentre construction. In the financial year ending March 2026, the three tech companies emitted 119m mTCO₂e (metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), or about a third of those of France. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google say they still aim to achieve net zero output despite the construction boom.

The increase in emissions is a challenge for the companies as they continue to expand their datacentre infrastructure to support growing demand for cloud services. The growth in datacentre construction is driven by the increasing demand for cloud computing services. As more businesses and consumers move their operations online, the need for data storage and processing power continues to rise.

The companies' emissions have increased as a result of the expansion of their datacentre networks. The construction of new datacentres requires significant amounts of energy and materials, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Why this matters: The rising carbon emissions of big tech companies have significant implications for the environment and the global effort to combat climate change.

As the demand for cloud services continues to grow, it is crucial for companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to find sustainable solutions to reduce their emissions. This may involve investing in renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency in datacentres, and exploring new technologies to reduce their carbon footprint. The challenge for these companies is to balance their growth with sustainability, and it remains to be seen how they will achieve their net-zero goals in the face of increasing demand for their services.