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. Data Centers: Keep an eye on T.Loop of Sweden. The company develops Data Energy Centers -- which involves submerging computer components in a thermally conductive and dielectric liquid, efficiently cooling servers and transferring heat directly from the source to the liquid, the company asserted. The surplus heat generated is then repurposed to warm buildings, support district heating, and contribute to grid-balancing services, T.Loop said.
2. Partnership - Telecom Services and Infrastructure: du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sustainability and Green Development Program with Huawei. The joint program will focus on "leveraging advanced and Green ICT technologies to support du’s Net Zero 2030 targets," the companies said.
3. Partnership - Data: Moody's Analytics and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) have inked an alliance to help customers make better data-driven business decisions and manage risk.
4. Smart Phones: Fairphone 5 has earned high marks for its repairability from iFixit.
5. Net-Zero Government Initiative (NZGI): The NZGI now spans 30 countries across six continents, according to the White House. Members have committed to achieve net-zero government emissions by 2050:Â
6. Carbon Calculator: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) introduced the region’s first Mastercard Carbon Calculator. The calculator provides "data on the estimated carbon footprint of their corporate expenditure using the ADCB corporate cards," FinTech Finance News reported.
7. Research - Global Heat Pump Market Forecast: The global market for Heat Pumps will reach $142.4 billion by 2023, up from $64.8 Billion in 2022. That's a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3%, according to Research and Markets.
8. Agriculture - Scope 3 Accounting: Indigo Ag has expanded its Scope 3 product suite for agriculture businesses and consumer goods companies. The Scope 3 product suite helps companies measure, reduce and report their Scope 3 emissions, as well as other sustainability attributes like water use, the company said.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Joint Venture - Data Centers: Digital Realty and Blackstone are launching a joint venture to develop four hyperscale data center campuses across Frankfurt (Germany), Paris (France) and Northern Virginia (United States). Blackstone will acquire an 80% ownership interest in the joint venture for approximately $700 million of initial capital contributions, while Digital Realty will maintain a 20% interest. Digital Realty will manage the development and day-to-day operations of the joint venture, for which it will receive customary fees. The four hyperscale data center campuses will have an estimated development cost of approximately $7 billion over the course of the next several years. Alas, Digital Realty and Blackstone did not mention if or how the data centers will leverage renewable energy.
2. Funding: LevelTen Energy has raised $10 million to support its platform that facilitates the development of new clean energy projects, GeekWire reported. The startup did not disclose the source of funding.
3. Solar Energy Investigation: Sunnova Energy's stock ($NOVA) fell -12.5% ion December 8 after congressional Republicans disclosed a letter sent to the Department of Energy Loan Programs Office questioning a $3 billion partial loan guarantee to the company.
4. M&A - Building Access Management: Honeywell plans to acquire Carrier Global's Global Access Solutions business for $4.95 billion in cash. The deal's valuation is roughly 13 times estimated 2023 EBITDA, inclusive of tax benefits and run-rate cost synergies, the buyer said. The deal is expected to close in Q3 of 2024.
5. M&A - ESG Consulting: Morrow Sodali has acquired Domestique, a corporate communication and reputation management consultancy that has sustainability and ESG expertise.
6. 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. United States - Louisiana Power Management: State regulators will vote the week of December 11 oin new rules that would require utility companies to implement various power-saving measures and technologies.
2. COP28 - Fossil Fuel Debate: Sultan Al Jaber, president of the COP28 summit, is holding a special meeting of ministers in a bid to get a deal to reduce the use of all fossil fuels for the first time, Bloomberg reported.
3. COP28 - Fossil Fuel Debate Part 2: The U.N. climate agency published a new draft of its COP28 agreement on December 8, which included a range of options for the future of fossil fuel use, the most contentious issue at the summit, Reuters reported. Over the next few days countries are expected to focus on the issue in hopes of reaching a consensus before the summit's scheduled end on December 12, the report said.
4. COP28 - Fossil Fuel Debate Part 3: The European Union's climate chief on December 9 heavily criticized an attempt by OPEC to derail a COP28 deal on phasing out fossil fuels, calling the move by the oil producers' club "unhelpful" and "out of whack," Reuters reported.
5. COP28 Partnership: Schneider Electric, Meinhardt MEN , and Innovo inked a partnership to "drive sustainable energy practices in the UAE," the companies said.
6. Dubai, UAE: Dubai will strive t cut its carbon emissions in half by the end of this decade. Bloomberg reported.
7. Europe - AI Regulations: Europe on December 8, 2023, reached a provisional deal on landmark European Union rules governing the use of artificial intelligence including governments' use of AI in biometric surveillance and how to regulate AI systems such as ChatGPT, Reuters reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- COP28 (November 30-December 12, UAE)
- European Chief Sustainability Awards (January 15, Davos)
- Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America 2024 (January 17-19, San Diego, California)
- Recycling, Circular Design & Sustainable Sourcing for EV Batteries & Carbon Neutral Vehicles USA Congress 2024 (January 23-25, Detroit, Michigan)
- ARC Industry Leadership Forum 2024 (February 4-8, Orlando, Florida)
- 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.
