Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners, renewable energy and green IT companies, management consultants, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.
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A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Alliances
1. Chief Sustainability Officers: Our database of chief sustainability officers now spans 365 CSOs. The latest addition is Mandi McReynolds, VP, Global ESG, Workiva.
2. ESG Software - Scope 3 Emissions: IBM's software can help organizations accelerate the capture, calculation and analysis of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The solution involves the integration of NLP in the IBM Envizi ESG Suite, the technology company said. Related: IBM's sustainability strategy, products and partnerships explained.
3. ESG Reporting Standard for Electronics: SERI, the non-profit organization behind the R2 Sustainable Electronics Reuse and Recycling Standard and Certification program, plans to develop a "globally recognized ESG (environmental, social, and governance) reporting standard and certification program for the electronics industry.
4. ESG Software - Partners of the Year: Workiva announced its 2023 partner of the year awards. Global IT consulting firms such as Deloitte, KPMG and PwC were among the biggest winners. Honorees included:
- Americas Partner of the Year - Deloitte US
- Americas Regional Partner of the Year - Embark
- Americas Emerging Partner of the Year - Lionpoint Group
- Americas Innovation Partner of the Year - KPMG US
- Americas Technology Partner of the Year - Workday
- EMEA Partner of the Year - PwC
- EMEA Regional Partner of the Year - VantagePoint
- EMEA Design Agency of the Year - Bastion Graphics
- EMEA Emerging Partner of the Year - Protiviti Inc.
- APAC Partner of the Year - Deloitte Australia
- APAC Emerging Partner of the Year - KPMG Australia
- APAC Innovation Partner of the Year - KPMG Hong Kong Limited
- Global Managed Service Partner of the Year - PwC
- Global Partner of the Year - Deloitte
5. Startup - Carbon Accounting and Management Software: Keep an eye on North Star Carbon Management a new SaaS solution that spans carbon accounting and management software. The company, formed in 2022, is backed by three executives who are deeply experienced in the greenhouse gas (GHG) consulting market.
6. PCs, Hardware and IT Infrastructure: Lenovo has joined Forward Faster, a United Nations initiative that calls on business leaders everywhere to take measurable, credible, and ambitious action to align with all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
7. Partnership - Freight Shipping and Carbon Emissions: The Climate Pledge—co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism—and C40 Cities have launched Laneshift, a partnership to tackle carbon emissions associated with heavy-duty shipping and freight trucks. C40 is a global network of mayors who are focused on crimate issues.
8. Training and Partner Program - GHG Accounting: The Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) announced a program to train 2,500 financial professionals in GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions accounting. Initial partner program members include Persefoni and Watershed.
9. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Network - Retail Stores: Royal Farms of Baltimore, Maryland, plans to install 30 Blink Charging stations -- spanning 60 charging points -- across its convenience store retail chain.
10. Research - Manufacturing and Sustainability: Here are the top 3 sustainability challenges facing manufacturing companies, according to Fictiv and Dimensional Research survey results.
11. Home Insurance: U.S. home insurance costs that have soared in much of the country may get even higher. Tens of millions of properties around the country are insured at prices that haven’t caught up with the danger of hurricanes, wildfires and floods, according to a new report from First Street Foundation, Bloomberg reported.
12. Deadline: MediaValet Inc., a provider of enterprise digital asset management, video content management and creative operations software (DAM), has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2025.
13. COP28: United Nations officials and world leaders offered a preview of climate change battles to come — over the responsibility rich countries have to reduce emissions, over the financing needed for climate adaptation and over what exactly it means to move away from fossil fuels, Bloomberg reported. When many of the same leaders gather in Dubai for the UN’s COP28 climate conference in November, those disconnects are sure to be front and center, Bloomberg said. Related: See all COP28 news here.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments and Funding
1. Funding: Former US President Bill Clinton is teaming with Israeli billionaire Ziv Aviram to launch a climate fund with about $1 billion of start-up capital, Bloomberg reported.
2. M&A - Buildings and Energy Transitions: Legence, backed by Blackstone, has acquired A.O. Reed & Co., a specialty mechanical contractor focused on building and servicing complex systems in mission-critical facilities. Legence's mission is to "accelerate the transition to net zero by making buildings healthier and more sustainable at unmatched speed and scale." A.O. Reed & Co. will further assist customers' decarbonization journey, the buyer said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
3. All M&A Activity: Our M&A database has now tracked 131 mergers and acquisitions so far in 2023. See all M&A deals involving sustainability listed here.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States - California Electric Grid: Electricity demand in California is expected to jump 80% or more by 2045, requiring the state to invest $370 billion in its power grid and clean energy to meet its net zero goal, utility giant Edison International predicts, Bloomberg reported.
2. Sweden - Net Zero Challenges: Sweden will likely miss its legislated climate targets, the latest sign of how combating global warming is slipping down the policy agenda, Bloomberg reported.
3. South Korea - Carbon Market: South Korea will extend participation in its emissions trading system and launch futures products under efforts to boost liquidity in the struggling market, Bloomberg reported.
4. United Kingdom - Net Zero Deadline?: Rishi Sunak’s plans to backtrack on green policies will put the the United Kingdom's 2050 net zero target in jeopardy, derailing Britain’s role as a global climate leader, Bloomberg reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- CEM Emissions Monitoring Conference 2023 (September 20-22, Barcelona, Spain)
- Post-Combustion Capture Conference (PCCC7) 2023 (September 25-28, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Greenbuild International Conference and Expo 2023 (September 26-29, Washington, D.C.)
- London Climate Technology Show 2023 (September 26-27)
- 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.
