Earth911 Podcast: Google’s Mike Werner on Building Circular Economies

Google’s circular economy leader, Mike Werner, explains the many renewable energy, waste reduction, and internal strategic changes that have established parent company Alphabet at the forefront of corporate sustainability.

Google achieved carbon neutrality for its search engine operations in 2007 and a decade later had matched 100% of its energy use with renewable energy credits. It pioneered reusing server and data center equipment and components, and currently diverts 78% of its data center and 64% of its office waste from landfills. Mike explains how Google collaborates with other companies, including competitors, in the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance, which seeks to achieve 90% national renewable energy generation capacity by 2030.

In addition to the launch of their Circular Economy startup accelerator, we discuss how the Google Cloud Platform and consumer services are integrating environmental information to support informed changes in business and individual sustainability. Mike, who is on the board of directors at our recent guest Rheaply, breaks down how reuse, improved carbon tracking, and circular economy strategies can accelerate the decarbonization of society.

Google, whose mission is to organize the world’s data, is rethinking its business and services to achieve carbon neutrality and, ultimately, draw down CO2 levels as part of the normal course of its business. You can learn more about Google’s sustainability and circular economy programs at sustainability.google.