Sustainable IT and Climate Tech News 14 March 2025: Clarity AI Analytics Software; Dynatrace Carbon App; HIG Buys Protos; More

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. Partnership - Microsoft and SBM Offshore: SBM and Microsoft are partnering to develop standardized, AI-powered carbon-free floating power solutions to address the growing needs for reliable, affordable, carbon-free electricity, the companies said.

2. Microsoft- Renewable Energy Opportunities: U.S. wind and solar development still has significant room for expansion to power data centers, particularly in the Midwest wind corridor and sunny southwest, Microsoft VP of Energy Bobby Hollis told Reuters.

3. Google - Digital Ads: Google has announced Carbon Footprint for Google Ads, which allows marketers to track the emissions generated from accounts using Google advertising products.

4. Software - Analytics: Clarity AI has launched new software to help asset managers and investors conduct sustainability research. The software automates analysis and provides real-time company insights, the company said.

5. Software - Executive Leadership: Cority, a developer of Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and sustainability software, has named Sukaran Mehta as CFO and Eric Olson as chief marketing officer (CMO).

6. Software - IT Carbon Accounting The Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA) has certified the Dynatrace Cost & Carbon Optimization app. The certification essentially confirms that Dynatrace's software "is a reliable estimation system for calculating the operational GHG emissions of IT infrastructure in cloud and on-premises environments," the SDIA said. The app allows customers to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and on-premises host instances. 

7. Green Data Center Gathering: Huawei hosted the Green Data Center Elite Club at MWC Barcelona 2025. The event attracted more than 50 industry leaders from global carriers, enterprises, and analysts, who discussed AI and management solutions that can help customers build flexible, sustainable and reliable data centers.

8. Data Center Energy Efficiency: CLEAResult has announced 80 PLUS Ruby, the "highest level of energy efficiency certification ever established for data center server power supply units (PSUs) worldwide," the company said.

9. Refurbished PC Market Growth Forecast: The market for refurbished computers and laptops will reach $10.76 billion by 2030, up from $5.12 billion in 2023. That's an 11.2% compound annual growth rate, Maximize Market Research said.

10. Energy Innovation Center: Schneider Electric launched an Innovation Center in Houston, Texas. Located in in Houston's energy corridor, the center is "designed to foster increased collaboration and technological advancements across the entire value chain," Schneider Electric said. The company also has innovation hubs in Paris, Singapore and Bangalore. 

B. Sustainability M&A, Climate Tech Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches

1. Incubator - Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance: The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance in March 2025 selected nine new financial solutions for its annual cohort. The cohort members aim "drive climate investments in emerging markets, supporting sustainable development, decarbonization, and climate resilience." To date, the lab has launched 78 climate finance solutions, collectively mobilizing $4.2 billion of public and private finance for emerging markets, the organization said.

2. Startup Grants: NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE), announced $1.5 million in its inaugural round of Innovation Grants. The grants are "intended to support the transition from proven model or prototype to commercialization," the organization said.

3. Funding - Renewable Energy: Terabase Energy, which develops technology for utility-scale solar power, has raised $130 million in Series C funding. SoftBank Vision Fund 2 led the round.

4. M&A - Data Center Energy Solutions: Eaton is acquiring Fibrebond for $1.4 billion, or roughly 12.73 times estimated 2025 adjusted EBITDA, the buyer said. Fibrebond designs and builds pre-integrated modular power enclosures for data center, industrial, utility and communications customers.

5. M&A - IT Consulting & Data Center Projects: Accenture is acquiring Soben, a provider of construction consultancy services. Soben, backed by 250 employees, will join Accenture's infrastructure and capital projects practices -- which includes various sustainability efforts. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

6. M&A - ESG Consulting Services: H.I.G. Capital has acquired Protos, a provider of technical-engineering consulting services, including technical, environmental, and ESG advisory services. Protos is based in Italy. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News

1. United States vs. European Union: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has introduced legislation that's designed to protect U.S. companies from the European Union's  Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). On a related note, Harvard published a paper describing how the proposed EU Omnibus Package could impact U.S. companies.

2. Canada - Reporting Challenges: Six in 10 Canadian companies have gaps in their sustainability reporting, PwC Canada reported.

3. United Kingdom and China Meetings: Britain's energy minister is visiting Beijing today to discuss climate and energy issues, hoping that re-engaging with China - both the world's largest carbon emitter and supplier of renewable energy infrastructure - will bring economic benefits, Reuters reported.

4. Germany Cuts Emissions: Germany's Federal Environment Agency said greenhouse gas emissions in Europe's biggest economy fell by around 3.4% year-on-year in 2024, putting the country on track to meet its 2030 climate targets, Reuters reported.

5. Japan - Standards: Japan has adopted sustainability statements based on ISSB standards, PwC noted.

D. Sustainable IT and Green Technology Conference Calendar

1. Chatham House Climate and Energy Summit 2025 (March 18-19, London, England)
2. Climate Investor Forum 2025 (March 19, Melbourne, Australia)
3. Miami Climate Week 2025 (March 23-29, Miami, Florida)
4. Distributech International 2025 (March 24-27, Dallas, Texas)
5. Asia Sustainable Plastics Summit 2025 (March 27-28, Singapore)
6. Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences

E. Previous Updates & Future News

1. Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainable IT, climate tech and renewable energy news for technology partners.
2. Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.