Google is ramping up its climate efforts with two strategic partnerships aimed at eliminating potent superpollutants—hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and methane—which are known to have a significant short-term impact on global warming. The initiatives, which will take place in Indonesia and Brazil, are projected to prevent the equivalent of 25,000+ tonnesof superpollutants by 2030, translating to up to 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided.
“These superpollutants are a key part of the climate fight, with massive impact and lots of low-hanging fruit that are ready to deploy today with minimal technical risk,” stated Recoolit, one of the project’s partners.
In partnership with Recoolit and Cool Effect, Google will fund projects to destroy HFCs in Indonesia and capture methane from Brazilian landfills. HFCs and methane are among the most potent greenhouse gases, with a much greater warming potential over short timescales than CO₂.
Through these initiatives, Google aims to reduce global warming by as much as 3 million tonnes of CO₂ in the near term, with long-term benefits expected to be equivalent to 1 million tonnes of CO₂.
Advancing Carbon Market Integrity
The initiative reinforces Google’s commitment to climate leadership and its confidence in high-integrity carbon credits, which come with a full audit trail for each credit. These credits will be used to offset Google’s own emissions, ensuring that they are aligned with the lifecycle of the pollutants being targeted, with short-lived emissions offset directly and long-term removals transitioning over time.
Recoolit’s partnership with Google is a step toward opening a new front in climate action, particularly in targeting neglected superpollutants that have an outsized impact on accelerating climate change. The investment will help scale carbon markets by supporting the mission to find and destroy refrigerant gases globally.
By focusing on immediate, high-impact actions like these, Google is expanding its climate innovation agenda, further solidifying its role in driving both short-term and long-term climate resilience. This project aligns with Google’s broader environmental commitments, enhancing its efforts to lead in the carbon market and ensure that its operations continue to make a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change.
