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. IT Services: NTT Data explains its latest sustainability milestones here.
2. IT Asset Management (ITAM): EZO AssetSonar now integrates with Cisco Meraki. The integration provides a "360-degree view by consolidating software, hardware, and network assets in one central platform," EZO asserted.
3. Server Hardware: Lenovo has announced new ThinkAgile hyperconverged solutions and ThinkSystem servers that "advance cloud deployment, hybrid connectivity and AI capabilities." The new servers "enable customers to maximize processing power in half the space with up to 40% lower power consumption with Lenovo Neptune liquid cooling," Lenovo asserted.
4. EV Charging Standard: The White House is lending its support to an auto industry effort to standardize Tesla’s electric vehicle charging plugs for all EVs in the United States, part of a broad effort to stimulate their sales to help combat climate change, SeekingAlpha reported.
5. Partnership - Real Estate: The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and GRESB inked a strategic partnership to "improve reporting and disclosure capabilities across key social factors, including health, equity and well-being."
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Financing: ING Groep NV, a Dutch bank, plans to end all financing of upstream oil and gas activities by 2040, and aims to triple its funding of renewable energy following the COP28 summit, Bloomberg reported.
2. Sustainability Funding: Sustainability investors in 2023 poured approximately $13.9 billion into companies working on everything from battery recycling to water-conserving crops, Crunchbase reported. That puts 2023 on track to come in roughly even with last year.
. Energy Funding: Octopus Energy Group, the UK’s largest power supplier and the owner of the Kraken technology platform, has raised $800 million (£625 million) from its existing shareholders. This new investment values the private company at $7.8 billion (£6.2 billion), a 60% increase since its previous investment round in December 2021. Origin Energy, Tokyo Gas, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), and Generation Investment Management participated in the round.
3. M&A - Industrial Power: Concentric has acquired Jantech, a provider of UPS systems, batteries and power distribution equipment. This acquisition expands Concentric's capabilities to serve mission critical businesses such as data centers, hospitals, financial institutions and other facilities, the buyer said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States - Texas: State power regulators will participate in a review of methods used to obtain backup electricity supplies after an uncharacteristically sharp debate between the grid operator and its watchdog, Bloomberg reported.
2. Taiwan - Small Business Carbon Management Software: Microsoft Taiwan introduced a new carbon management platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Radio Taiwan International reported. The platform, called iCX (Intelligent Carbon Exchange), is designed to help SMEs reduce their carbon emissions and comply with international standards. Key partners include PwC in Taiwan.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) 2024 (January 8-9, Bahrain)
- CES 2024 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- 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)
- 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.
