Kate Brandt: Sustainability Leadership at Google

Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google, has been ranked in seventh place in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 Sustainability Leaders 2026.

This position awards her leadership in transforming the sustainability pathway of one of the most influential tech companies in the world.

Kate writes on LinkedIn: “I’m honoured to be included in the Top 10 of Sustainability Magazine’s 2026 Top Sustainability Leaders list, and even more thrilled to see the incredible peers and partners recognised alongside me.

“Real, lasting systems change isn’t the work of one person or one company; it’s driven by a growing community of passionate leaders across every region and industry pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

“To my fellow leaders on the list: thank you for your partnership, your persistence and your vision. Let’s keep moving from data to decisions and from ambition to action.”

Kate’s career pathway

Kate graduated with honours from Brown University and received a Masters degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.

She has previously held many positions in the US government, starting as a Policy Analyst in the Office of Energy and Climate Change at the White House in 2009.

She also worked as the Director for Energy and Environment, before becoming a Senior Advisor in the US Department of Energy.

In 2014, US President Obama named Kate as the nation’s first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer.

In this position, she was responsible for promoting sustainability across all Federal Government operations, including 360,000 buildings and US$445bn in purchased goods and services annually.

Kate began her career at Google in 2015 as the Lead for Sustainability, a position she held for almost three years before taking on her current role.

She became Chief Sustainability Officer in May 2018 and has held the position for more than seven years.

AI for environmental benefits

Google’s sustainability initiatives, headed by Kate, include a focus on how AI can help protect the environment.

Its research helps discover solutions to manage and streamline conservation efforts around the world.

For example, Google discusses how AI platforms can use satellite signals to map activity at sea and enable sustainable fishing, as well as helping scientists understand entire ecosystems.

It explores how AI development and nature conservation interact, with a focus on building accessible infrastructure for biodiversity data, creating transparent systems for ecosystem monitoring and nurturing knowledge-sharing between developers and scientists.

All sustainability, net zero and sustainable supply chain leaders should attend:

• Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE, these events brings together CSOs, ESG leaders and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.

Kate’s impact at Google

During Kate’s time so far at Google, the company has reached multiple environmental milestones, including matching 100% of its annual electricity consumption with renewable energy since 2017 and being carbon neutral since 2007.

In 2024, it replenished 4.5 billion gallons of water, accounting for 64% of its freshwater consumption and it achieved 100% plastic-free packaging for its Pixel devices.

Kate said: “A key highlight for me is that we reduced our data centre energy emissions by 12% in 2024 despite significant growth in electricity demand, showing it’s possible to advance the two great transformations of our time – the AI revolution and clean energy growth – hand in hand.

“This is about building the future through new advanced energy innovations and deeper supplier engagement, both of which are core parts of our strategy as we work toward our climate moonshots, 24/7 carbon free energy and net zero by 2030.”

Kate’s leadership has helped the company set the precedent for sustainable operations, with innovative products and solutions to make a positive impact on people and the environment.