Here is today’s sustainable IT services and climate tech news, research and analysis -- written for technology partners, green IT service providers, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and climate accounting professionals.
A. Sustainable IT, Talent, Partnerships and Green Tech Alliances
1. Sustainability Survey: Sustainability remains a top three priority for companies worldwide, a Deloitte survey found.
2. Global IT Consulting and Services: Capgemini revenue fell 1.6% in Q3 of 2024 compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Still, Capgemini has seen "continued client demand for strategic consulting on their transition towards a more digital and sustainable model as well as their unwavering interest in the broad AI and Gen AI opportunities," the company said.
3. Apple Mac Mini: The new Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac, though Apple leverages carbon credits to offset about 20% of emissions associated with the new computer. Apple made similar carbon neutral claims about an Apple Watch model in 2023. Related: Apple's sustainability model.
4. Refurbished Smartphones: The Google Store now sells certified refurbished Pixel smartphones. Related: Google's sustainability strategy.
5. Partnership - Carbon-Neutral Advertising: TripleLift and Horizon Media have partnered to offer net-zero carbon emissions for all Horizon Media buys though TripleLift's inventory.
6. Higher Education - Energy Research: The University of Central Florida and Siemens Energy have partnered to "significantly grow impactful research in energy systems and sustainable energy and enhance how UCF prepares students to thrive in the dynamic energy industry after graduation," the organizations said.
7. Solar Energy Market Challenges: First Solar announced weaker-than-expected Q3 revenues and income. The solar energy equipment company continues to balance growth, profitability and liquidity amid the pending U.S. elections and "continued volatility across the solar manufacturing industry," CEO Mark Widmar said in a prepared statement.
B. Sustainability M&A, Climate Tech Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Accelerator: Salesforce has launched Salesforce Accelerator — Agents for Impact. The effort provides technology, funding, and expertise to "help nonprofits build and customize AI agents, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and scale community impact in the AI-driven future," the cloud software company said. Related: Accelerator list for sustainability and climate tech startups.
2. Joint Venture - EV Charger Systems: Schneider Electric and StarCharge are jointly launching a prosumer company that delivers EV charging infrastructure, photovoltaic inverters, AC and DC charger, and storage systems to the European market, the firms said. Separately, Schneider Electric's Q3 revenues set a quarterly record amid megatrends such s digitization, artificial intelligence and the energy transition, CEO Peter Herweck said.
3. Consulting Firm Launch: Former Deloitte partner Thierry Lotrian has launched Climate & Decisions, a consulting firm that assists Australia businesses with sustainability reporting requirements.
4. Funding - Heat Pumps: Vamo has raised €7 million in new capital, expanding its seed round to over €10 million (USD $10.8), EU Startups reported.
5. Funding - Energy Infrastructure: eSmart Systems, which develops solutions for inspection and maintenance of critical energy infrastructure, has raised EUR 30 million (US$32.52 million) in new capital. TiLT Capital led the round, with participation from Quanta Services.
6. Investment: Soho Square Capital has invested in LMF Energy Services, a national installer of renewable energy measures (heat pumps, solar panels, electric storage heaters, insulation) in properties across the United Kingdom. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
7. Private Equity: European private equity firm Verdane has raised 700 million euros ($755 million) for its second fund focused on companies helping to decarbonize the economy, Reuters reported.
8. M&A - Offshore Wind Farms: Â Denmark's Orsted has agreed to sell a 12.45% minority stake in four of its operational British offshore wind farms to Brookfield in a deal worth 1.75 billion pounds ($2.28 billion), Reuters reported.
9. M&A - Sustainability Consultancy: Leon Capital and Nuveen have acquired Longevity Partners, an energy and sustainability consultancy that serves real estate investors, PE Hub reported. Longevity launched a Decarbonization Dashboard for the real estate industry in July 2024.
10. Complete M&A List: Here's our database of all M&A deals involving green IT and renewable energy buyers, sellers and investors.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. European Union vs China - Electric Vehicle Tariffs: The European Union has raised tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles to as high as 45.3%, after a detailed anti-subsidy investigation that has been criticized by Beijing as well as the broader automaking industry.
2. France - Price Fixing Probe: France's competition authority has fined electric equipment makers Schneider Electric, Legrand, Rexel and Sonepar a total of 470 million euros ($508.49 million) for fixing prices, Reuters reported.
3. Japan - Nuclear Power: Japan has restarted a nuclear reactor that is located near the site of a 2011 earthquake. The Onagawa nuclear reactor restart is a "big milestone" in the country's atomic revival, Bloomberg reported.
D. Sustainable IT and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Verge 2024Â (October 29-31, San Jose, California)
- Bloom 2024 Biodiversity and Climate Conference (October 29-30)
- Gartner IT Symposium Xpo 2024 (November 4-7, Barcelona, Spain)
- Ecomondo 2024 (November 5-8, Rimini, Italy)
- COP29 (November 11-24, Baku, Azerbaijan)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
