Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners, renewable energy and green IT services companies, management consultants, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.
A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Green IT Alliances
1. Chief Sustainability Officers List: Our database of chief sustainability officers, typically updated each business day, now spans 420 CSOs from businesses, universities and organizations worldwide. The latest addition is Javier Losada, CSO at Inditex.
2. Executive Leadership: Schneider Electric has named Charlie Hadlow to lead EnergySage – the largest renewable energy marketplace in the United States. Hadlow succeeds EnergySage CEO and founder Vikram Aggarwal, who is exiting after 14 years to "pursue other opportunities."
3. Carbon Accounting Software: Greenly's carbon accounting software now integrates with Xero. The Xero connection allows Greenly to integrate with customers' accounting data, "streamlining the process and providing a comprehensive solution to manage environmental impact," Greenly asserted. Related: Podcast interview with Greenly CEO Alexis Normand.
4. Sustainable Supply Chains: Demand for Asset & Supply Chain Management software continues to grow, and IBM continues to help customer run sustainable operations, CFO Jim Kavanaugh said during IBM's earnings call. CEO Arvind Krishna also weighed in, stating: "Businesses and governments around the world are looking for opportunities to address demographic shifts, make their supply chains more resilient and improve sustainability." Actual revenue figures for IBM's supply chain software and associated sustainability consulting services were not disclosed. Related: IBM's overall sustainability strategy explained, and IBM Think 2024 conference dates.
5. Partnership - Solar-Cell Technology: U.S. manufacturing giant 3M has inked a strategic partnership with Exeger Sweden AB -- a startup -- to develop worker safety equipment powered by solar-cell technology, Bloomberg reported.
6. Carbon Credits: New signs of stress are emerging in the already battered market for carbon offsets, a popular if controversial climate accounting tool that helps companies and individuals reduce their official carbon emissions, Bloomberg reported. The latest anecdote: Demand has all but evaporated for credits generated by the Kariba forestry project in Zimbabwe, the report noted.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. M&A - Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Technology: Wallbox has acquired ABL for approximately €15 million (US$15.81 million). ABL develops EV charging solutions in Germany, the largest EV market in Europe with more than two million EVs on the road. The Wallbox-ABL installed base spans more than 1 million EV chargers worldwide. Wallbox revenue was €33.0 million in Q3 of 2023. Excluding a €1.8 million adjustment for distributor rebates and returns, revenues were €34.8 million, relatively flat compared to Q1 2023. Wallbox is based in Barcelona, Spain.
2. M&A - Reverse Logistics: UPS is acquiring Happy Returns from PayPal. Happy Returns is a U.S.-based software and reverse logistics company that enables no-box, no-label returns for merchants and consumers. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. PayPal has owned Happy Returns since 2021.
3. M&A - HVAC: Lennox has acquired AES, a company dedicated to "service and sustainability in the light commercial market." AES provides installations services, adapter curbs, and reclaim services. AES will tuck into the Lennox Commercial Business Segment. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
4. 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. Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Rich nations must be more ambitious in their climate action to contain the rise in global temperatures, while giving developing economies the room to meet their economic goals, according to a Council on Energy, Environment and Water, Bloomberg reported. The report was co-authored with Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.
2. Asia Pacific: Nearly 30% of Asia-Pacific organizations have chief sustainability officers, compared to 12% in Europe and 11% in North America, according to a Boyden executive survey.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit 2023 (October 29-31, London)
- Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders Summit 2023 (November 1-3, Abu Dhabi, UAE)
- World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit (November 1-3, Kigali, Rwanda)
- ACESD 2023: Asia Conference on Environmental and Sustainable Development (November 3-5, Sapporo, Japan)
- Cisco Partner Summit 2023 (November 6-9, Miami, 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: Send us your news tips. Please email me the details.
