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. Exit: Natasha Liddell, chief sustainability officer at Lifezone Metals, plans to step down in February 2024. We'll be watching for potential successor news.
2. COP28 - Recycling: An international consortium led by Roland Berger and BEEAH Group, in collaboration with DFINITY Foundation, and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), demonstrated the "world’s first global incentive system to counteract the solid waste footprint."
3. Cop 28 - Startups: Microsoft and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) brought 10 impactful sustainability and climate tech startups to COP28 to "showcase how their innovative solutions are tackling the most pressing challenges resulting from climate change." The startups included Tomorrow IO, Mitiga Solutions, SEaB Power, Agritrack, Satavia, Nearthlab, Takachar, Cleantech Hub Grounds, Tespak, and Sustainable Planet. The startups are part of the 4th Cohort of the GrowthX Accelerator program, which empowers growth-stage B2B startups ranging primarily from the Seed to Series A stages, Microsoft and ADIO said.
4. Solar Rebound?: Rooftop solar installation businesses in the United States are starting to recover from a slump triggered by higher interest rates and cuts in incentives for panels in California, according to Sunnova Energy International CEO John Berger, Bloomberg reported.
5. Partner of the Year: Sycomp won the Canalys Candefero Sustainability Partner of the Year Award. Sycomp is a global IT and logistics service provider with extensive expertise in cloud, data center, endpoint management and security solutions.
6. Partnership - Carbon Capture Technology: Deloitte Canada has inked a carbon credits agreement with CarbonCure Technologies. The deal supports "permanent storage of carbon dioxide in concrete," Deloitte said.
7. IBM Honors Coders: AGNO, Phyto and team Synergy Squad have won the sixth-annual Call for Code Global Challenge, which invited innovators across the globe to develop AI-powered technology projects that address sustainability to help fight climate change. The solutions leveraged technologes such as IBM watsonx and the IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite, to "address agricultural issues ranging from contaminated soil and crop management to food waste."
8. Partnership - ESG Data: FE fundinfo and Matter have partnered to enhance the availability of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability fund-level metrics within the industry.
9. ESG Report: The Red Cross published second annual Environmental, Social and Governance Report highlighting progress in 2023.
10. Partnership - EVs and Home Energy Management: Ford and Resideo Technologies are partnering to explore vehicle-to-home (V2H) energy management solutions.
11. Leadership: Measurabl, an ESG (environmental, social, governance) technology platform for real estate, has hired Sara Maffey as VP of sales enablement.
12. Network Sustainability: Ericsson has partnered with du -- from Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company -- to "enhance the sustainability of its networks and accelerate their transition to Net Zero by reducing network energy consumption and carbon emissions," the companies said.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Accelerator: Morgan Stanley announced its latest Sustainable Solutions Collaborative Cohort.
2. Financing: Italian energy major Eni SPA has secured $3.2 billion (EUR 3 billion) in funds related to two of its sustainability-linked financing frameworks, RigZone report.
3. Fund - Decarbonization Technologies: Venture capital firm Congruent Ventures raised $275 million from investors including California State Teachers’ Retirement System to fund early-stage companies developing innovative decarbonization technologies, Bloomberg reported.
4. Funding - Energy Transition: U.S. investment firm KKR may raise up to $7 billion for its first global climate fund that seeks to invest in energy transition opportunities, Reuters reported.
5. Funding - Industrial IoT: Actility has raised €16 million to fund next moves in the global LPWAN (Low-Power Wide Area Networks) market.
6. M&A - Sustainable Real Estate: Stoneweg U.S. has acquired Prose Frontier, soon to be rebranded as Prosper Crossings. The acquired Texas real estate spans approximately 15 acres and features 10, three-story residential buildings alongside a clubhouse and leasing office. Prosper Crossings will see the incorporation of several environmentally conscious improvements including the installation of EV charging stations, and a solar array panel on the leasing office/clubhouse, to minimize the property's carbon footprint.
7. M&A - Power Grid: Blackstone has acquired Power Grid Components for $600 million amid ongoing energy transition investments, multiple sources reported.
8. 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 Kingdom - Solar Power: Canadian Solar's e-STORAGE has won a deal involving the largest battery storage project in the UK, Canadian Solar said.
2. United States - Rhode Island Wind Power: The U.S Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council approved the construction of a $1.5 billion wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, CNBC reported.
3. United States - SEC Climate Regulations: The SEC's climate reporting policy is expected to slip into 2024, as prospects for a 2023 release dim, Bloomberg reported.
4. United States - New York: A zoning change that could bring more eco-friendly upgrades like solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle charging and energy-efficient building fixes to New York passed its final vote in the City Council on December 6, 2023, The New York Daily News reported.
5. Australia - Alliance: Â Schneider Electric, Cisco, Microsoft, Data#3, Moxie Insights and NTT have launched the Sustainability Tech Council. Initial focus areas include green data centres, energy-efficient technologies, supply chain sustainability and e-waste management, complemented by a cross-industry commitment to training, advocacy and standards.
6. Middle East: Chalhoub Group, partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East, has inked a sustainability services agreement with Schneider Electric. Chalhoub is seeking to "transform its suppliers' carbon footprint roadmap across the region."
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:Â Send us your news tips.Please email me the details.
