Cloud Digital Leader Why Cloud Technology Can Transform Business Practice Question
A company wants to reduce its carbon footprint by using cloud infrastructure powered by renewable energy. Which Google Cloud sustainability commitment is most relevant?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
100% renewable energy match
Google Cloud matches 100% of its global electricity consumption with renewable energy purchases.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Net zero emissions by 2025
Why it's wrong here
Google's operational net-zero target applies to all its facilities and is explicitly set for 2030, not 2025. Achieving net-zero by 2025 would misrepresent Google's actual decarbonization roadmap, which involves an accelerated reduction of energy-related emissions across data centers and offices within this decade. This claim is therefore incorrect.
- ✓
100% renewable energy match
Why this is correct
Since 2017, Google has contractually matched 100% of its global electricity consumption with renewable energy through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and energy attribute certificates, effectively neutralizing Scope 2 emissions in its data centers and cloud infrastructure. This direct procurement of renewable energy is the fundamental mechanism behind Google Cloud's lower operational carbon footprint. Users of Google Cloud benefit from this matching on a global scale.
- ✗
Carbon offset program
Why it's wrong here
Carbon offsets are financial instruments that pay for emission reductions elsewhere, rather than physically supplying clean power to Google's own data centers. Google does not buy offsets to claim renewable energy matching; instead, it directly purchases wind and solar energy via long-term PPAs and retires the associated renewable energy certificates. Relying on offsets would not accurately reflect Google's direct investment in renewable generation capacity, making this option incorrect.
- ✗
Carbon-free energy by 2025
Why it's wrong here
Google's publicly stated ambition is to attain 24/7 carbon-free energy, meaning every hour of every day its grids are powered by carbon-free sources, but this target is set for 2030—not 2025. An intermediate goal or claim of carbon-free energy by 2025 is not substantiated by Google's official sustainability goals. This option conflates the far more ambitious 24/7 objective with a shorter timeline, and is therefore incorrect.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud Digital Transformation
Key term
Sustainability
Sustainability in IT refers to designing, operating, and disposing of technology systems in a way that minimizes environmental impact and promotes long-term resource efficiency.
Key term
Google Cloud
Google Cloud is a suite of cloud computing services offered by Google that provides infrastructure, platform, and software solutions over the internet.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This GCDL practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the GCDL exam.