Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners; renewable energy and green IT service providers; management consultants; CIOs; chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.
A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Green IT Alliances
1. Research - Data Management: While 85% of organizations place a high strategic level of importance on achieving their sustainability goals, only 16% have integrated sustainability into their strategies and data, according to research findings from Microsoft, Kyndryl and Ecosystm.
2. Startup - Building Energy Management: Keep an eye on Grid Edge, a digital twin technology company that helps building owners to reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions.
3. Partnership - Data Centers: Infosys will leverage immersion cooling fluid from Shell New Energies UK to "accelerate adoption of immersion cooling services for data centers."
4. Managed Print Services: Quocirca’s Sustainability Leaders Report 2023 places printer makers in the following categories:
- Leaders: Canon, Epson, HP, Lexmark, Ricoh and Xerox
- Major Players: Brother and Konica Minolta
- Contender: Sharp
The analysis is based on each printer maker's strategy and completeness of offering (involving sustainability-led products, services and solutions), Quocirca said.
5. Enterprise Carbon Management Software: FigBytes, which AMCS recently acquired, has been positioned as an Innovator for Enterprise Carbon Management Software, according to Verdantix's latest Green Quadrant report.
6. PR Services: Katch International, a PR agency, has launched a new department focused on sustainability and responsible operations. On a related note, Katch has partnered with Blurred - a UK-based sustainability, management and communications consultancy. The goal is to" help companies in the Middle East create more impact and share that impact through powerful storytelling."
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Funding: Amini, a Kenya-based climate-tech startup bridging the environmental data gap in Africa, has raised $4 million seed funding in a round led by Salesforce Ventures and the Female Founders Fund, the startup said.
2. M&A - Private Equity: SDCL has acquired Volery, a US-based private equity firm focused on the energy transition. The deal enables SDCL to "participate in a broader range of energy transition opportunities focused on energy efficiency," the buyer said. The combined firm manages more than US$2 billion of assets across over 50 investments worldwide. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
3. M&A List: Here's our database of all M&A deals involving sustainability, green IT and renewable energy buyers, sellers and investors.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. COP28 - Free Net Zero Data Tool: Keep an eye on an emerging platform called NZDPU -- which is short for net zero data public utility. The platform aims to "create a free-to-all platform of reliable, comparable corporate climate data across industries and jurisdictions that can be used by governments, civil society, media, investors and other observers," The Wall Street Journal reported. Michael Bloomberg is funding NCDPU through philanthropy.
2. More COP28 News: Track the latest COP28 news and analysis here.
3. United States - Michigan Commitment: Michigan has joined four other states requiring 100% carbon-free energy by 2024, the Associated Press reported. The other four states are Connecticut, New York, Oregon and Minnesota, according to the Clean Energy States Alliance.
4. United States - Offshore Wind Power: The fate of several U.S. offshore wind projects hangs in the balance after soaring costs prompted developers to cancel contracts and write down billions of dollars, Reuters report.
5. United States - California Solar Energy Setbacks: California's decision to slash financial incentives for rooftop solar projects will trigger a 22% solar job loss in California by the end of 2023, according to the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA).
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- COP28 (November 30-December 12, UAE)
- CSR and Sustainability Summit MOZ (December 6-7, Mozambique)
- Sustainable Agriculture Summit 2023 (December 6-7, Charlotte, North Carolina)
- European Chief Sustainability Awards (January 15, Davos)
- Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America 2024 (January 17-19, San Diego, California)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
1. Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainability, green IT and renewable energy news for technology partners.
2. Future Updates: Send us your news tips. Please email me the details.
