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.
A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Alliances
1. Startup Accelerator: Intel Ignite, the chip giant's accelerator program for early-stage startups, has selected 10 companies for its U.S. cohort. Among sustainability-oriented startups to note:
- Gaia AI: Measurement and analytical tool for data-driven forest management.
- Intramotev: Self-propelled battery-electric railcars for the railroad industry.
- Mesodyne: Power generator that provides reliable, efficient, quiet, portable and long-endurance power from any fuel.
- TryCarbonara: A platform to measure and reduce the carbon emissions of software.
2. Sustainable Buildings - Consulting and Executive Leadership: CodeGreen Sustainability has named Julia Rogers as president and promoted Christopher Cayten to head of strategy. CodeGreen Sustainability, a sustainability and decarbonization consulting firm, is the new brand name for CodeGreen Solutions, SEQUIL Systems, and Encompass Energy.
3. Partnership - Green Skills Training: EY and Microsoft have launched Green Skills Passport, which "helps learners aged 16 and over develop skills to find green jobs and pursue opportunities in the growing green economy," the companies said.
4. Green Data Center Launch: Start Campus has welcomed its first hyperscaler clients for the initial setup phase at its NEST building in Portugal. The NEST is scheduled to be fully operational by March 2024 and will deliver an initial 15 MW of power, setting the stage for a capacity of 495 MW across six buildings. When live, it will become one of Europe’s largest green hyperscale ecosystems, Start Campus asserts. Early Start Campus partners include Nautilus and Kyndryl.
5. Greenwashing - Financial Services: Â Greenwashing instances by banks and financial services companies rose 70% in the past 12 months, RepRisk reported and Reuters summarized.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Business Launches
1. Funding - Emissions Monitoring Technology: Qube Technologies has raised Series B funding from Riverbend Energy Group. The actual dollar figure and company valuation were not disclosed.
2. M&A - Renewable Energy Services: EnergyMark has acquired New York neighbor Crown Energy Services. The two energy supply companies have been extending from natural gas to community solar project management, renewable energy credit and carbon offset procurement services. EnergyMark developed a 10-megawatt, 50-acre brownfield, solar facility in West Valley, New York. The facility generates enough electricity to power over 2,000 homes. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
3. M&A - Software: Trane Technologies, which develops climate and energy management solutions for buildings, has acquired Nuvolo, a ServiceNow partner that provides enterprise asset management software and services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
4. 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. European Union - Potential Climate Czar: Â European Commission Executive Vice President Maros Sefcovic, the proposed EU green deal chief, said he hoped the European Union could seek to cut emissions by at least 90% by 2040, Reuters reported. Sefcovic spoke during a hearing at the European Parliament's environment committee, where he needs two thirds of the committee's support to approve his new portfolio, Reuters. noted.
2. UK Net Zero Void: The United Kingdom lacks a proper plan for achieving net zero by 2050, Scottish Power CEO Keith Anderson alleges, Bloomberg reported. The statements surface after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak softened key parts of government policy on climate change, the report noted.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- ClimateTech 2023 (October 4-5, Cambridge, Massachusetts)
- International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2023 (October 4-6, Malaysia)
- ESG Africa Conference 2023 (October 4-5, South Africa)
- Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Climate Tech 2023Â (October 5, Chicago, Illinois)
- Extrusion 2023: Plastics Technology Event (October 10-12, Indianapolis, Indiana)
- 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.
