Google has hired its first head of sustainability for the Asia Pacific region.
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Spencer Low, previously chief sustainability officer for aviation services group SATS, has been appointed as the tech giant’s head of regional sustainability. He will be based at the firm’s APAC headquarters in Singapore and be part of the global sustainability team.
He joins a company that is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by the end of the decade. Google emitted 10.2 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) in 2022, down from 11.4 million tCO2e in 2021. It aims to run all its offices and data centres only on carbon-free energy, an ambition that will prove challenging in APAC, where electricity grids are still mainly fossil fuel based.
In Low’s role, he will lead sustainability strategy and programmes on carbon, circular economy, water, product integration, reporting, and employee engagement. Low will also work to influence Google’s global sustainability strategy to make it more relevant to the region.
He will also advise stakeholders on the use of Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies to solve sustainability problems. Google has used AI to improve traffic flow in cities to reduce emissions and preserve kelp forests in Australia’s Great Southern Reef.
Low’s background is in strategy, and he pivoted to sustainability during his time with SATS, where he worked for four years. Over his career, he has worked for online travel booking platform Agoda, where he was China managing director, and internet firm Rakuten Group. He spent the first 10 years of his career at management consultancy Bain & Company.
