Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners, management consultants, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.
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A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Alliances
1. Smart Buildings: Microsoft and Johnson Controls recently held a joint briefing in Sydney, Australia to help customers capture the data and insights they need to efficiently record, report on, and reduce the environmental footprint of their real estate assets, Technology Record reported. Naturally, Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability was central to the conversation.
2. Sustainable Smart Phone: The Fairphone is coming to the United States, through a partnership with Murena.
3. Green Skills Gap: Green skills in the U.S. aren’t growing as fast as green jobs, pressuring companies to get creative to find the workers they need to carry out the energy transition and take advantage of the historic amount of money pouring into climate technology, The Wall Street Journal reported. Among the proof points: In 2022, the number of U.S. LinkedIn profiles with at least one green skill grew around 8.4%, compared with a 20% rise in green job postings on the platform, according to data from LinkedIn provided to The Wall Street Journal.Â
4. Consulting: Singapore Polytechnic (SP) has partnered with professional services firm KPMG to develop a net zero sustainability roadmap. The roadmap spans four phases to be completed by 2024, Singapore Business Review reported.
5. Electric Vehicles - Shipments and Financing: Nikola reported second-quarter electric vehicle (EV) truck deliveries, and the company won a $41.9 million grant to build six heavy-duty hydrogen refueling stations across Southern California. Nikola's stock bottomed out at $0.52 in early June 2023, SeekingAlpha reported.
6. Coalition - Sustainable Energy: JinkoSolar has joined the IRENA Coalition for Action. The IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) Coalition for Action, formed in 2014, promotes the wider and faster uptake of renewable energy technologies.
7. ESG Equity Funds Under Pressure: Equity funds with an environmental, social and governance (ESG) tilt suffered a large loss of investors in Q2 of 2023, dragging the sector into a rare net outflow for a first half of the year, data showed, Reuters reported.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments and Funding
1. M&A - Energy Efficiency Services: EMCOR Group is acquiring ECM Holding Group, a national energy efficiency specialty services firm. ECM offers HVAC, lighting, water, weatherization, and airflow management solutions. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
2. M&A - ESG Software: EcoOnline is acquiring Ecometrica, which develops software for measuring an organization's climate impact. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
3. All M&A Activity: Our M&A database has now tracked 89 mergers and acquisitions involving sustainability so far in 2023. See all M&A deals involving sustainability listed here.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States - Solar Power: President Biden will meet with Enphase Energy and Flex on July 6 to celebrate product shipments from South Carolina.
2. United States New York: The City of Binghamton, New York, is drafting a new climate action plan to replace the one created in 2011. Among the areas of concern that Binghamton is seeking to address: Flooding.
3. India - Renewable Energy Funding: India's Adani Green Energy, controlled by billionaire Gautam Adani, plans to raise 123 billion rupees ($1.49 billion) through qualified institutional placement, Reuters said. The renewables company will use the funds to diversify its green energy supply in the country, Bloomberg reported.
4. Global - ISSB Sustainability Standards: Worldwide adoption of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)’s first two sustainability standards—International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2— published on June 26, 2023, represent an important milestone in achieving a global baseline of consistent, high-quality, and comparable sustainability information addressing the needs of capital markets, Deloitte reported via The Wall Street Journal.
D. Previous Updates & Future News
1. Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?:Â Here is yesterday's sustainability, green IT and renewable energy news for technology partners.
2. Future Updates: Send Us Your News Tips. Please email me the details.
