Complementarity of Digitalization and Decarbonization of the Economy in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

The article asserts that the world has entered a novel era—the era of digitization, where the impact of digital technologies is progressively evident in all sectors of the economy and serves as a foundation for all other processes. Nevertheless, it is complex and controversial. On one hand, digitalization contributes to economic growth and encourages sustainable development in countries and businesses. On the other hand, it also leads to an accelerated rate of electricity consumption, resulting in increased carbon emissions. Therefore, the issue of the carbon footprint caused by digitalization remains a top priority on the agenda. The results of the research conducted, based on the data from Google Corporation—a leading producer of digital products and creator of digital platforms, offer a comprehensive response to the query. The decoupling analysis is conducted to compare simultaneous trends of the economic growth rate and the growth rate of negative pressure to the environment. The correlation-regressive apparatus is used to develop a multifactorial nonlinear mathematical model establishing a relationship between key indicators of business activity and greenhouse gas emissions generated. It is proven that Google choses a carbon–neutral development approach aimed at promoting sustainability among the corporation and all stakeholders in the value chain.