Kate Brandt

Kate Brandt is a sustainability leader who has served as the United States' first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer and as Google's first Chief Sustainability Officer. Brandt graduated with honors from Brown University and earned a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Early in her career, Brandt held senior roles in the U.S. federal government, including Senior Advisor at the Department of Energy, Director for Energy and Environment in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, and Energy Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy. Her government service was recognized with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award.

As Federal Chief Sustainability Officer, Brandt was responsible for advancing sustainability across government operations, overseeing 360,000 buildings, 650,000 vehicles, and $445 billion in annual procurement. She later joined Google as Chief Sustainability Officer, leading sustainability initiatives across the company's global operations, products, and supply chains. Under Brandt's leadership, Google matched its energy use with 100 percent renewable energy for seven consecutive years, committed to operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy, and set a goal to help reduce a gigaton of carbon equivalent emissions annually. Google's data centers operate 1.5 times more efficiently than the industry average.

Brandt has played a key role in leveraging artificial intelligence for climate action at Google. Her team has developed tools such as a solar planning platform that contributed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million metric tons in one year, "Green Light" for city traffic optimization, "FireSat" for wildfire detection, and "Google Flood Hub" for local flood forecasting. She is involved in efforts to reduce the energy and water footprint of Google's data centers and to invest in lower-carbon energy sources, including geothermal and advanced nuclear technologies. Brandt has also collaborated with the SEMI Global Executive Summit to promote low-carbon solutions across the semiconductor value chain.

Brandt is a frequent speaker at major climate forums, including COP and the World Economic Forum, and has been recognized among the Top 46 Sustainability Leaders by Forbes. Fortune Magazine included her in its "40 Under 40" list, and she has been ranked number one in Sustainability Magazine's Top 250 Women in Sustainability. Brandt serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Geographic Society and on the boards of BSR, Restor, and the Corporate Eco Forum. Her career spans government and technology, with a focus on climate action, corporate responsibility, and the integration of artificial intelligence in sustainability.