Alphabet held its 2026 annual shareholder meeting on June 5, and two proposals that aimed to push the company toward greater transparency on water consumption and AI risk oversight both failed to pass.
The board had recommended shareholders vote against both measures.
What shareholders actually wanted
Proposal 6 called for enhanced reporting on water usage, specifically tied to AI development. Training and running large AI models requires enormous data centers, and those data centers need cooling, which requires water. The proposal wanted Alphabet to disclose more about its water strategies and how expanding AI infrastructure might strain local water supplies.
Proposal 12 sought to update the Audit Committee Charter to formalize board-level oversight of AI-related risks, with particular attention to human rights implications. SHARE, Parnassus Investments, and PFA Pension all supported the measure.
