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. Sustainability Consulting - Slowing Growth: Total spending on sustainability advice reached roughly $48.9 billion in 2023, up 8% from 2022, according to Source Global Research. That's softer than the 9.8% growth in 2022 vs. 2021. Source Global expects the reduced growth rate to continue in 2024, the Financial Times reported.
2. Refurbished PCs: Lenovo has introduced Lenovo Certified Refurbished -- which allows customers to deploy refurbished PCs. Also, Lenovo TruScale Device as a Service (DaaS) customers will have more options to optimize their IT mix according to their unique economic and business needs, and with circularity in mind, the PC company said.
3. Power over Ethernet - SMB Networks: EnGenius Technologies Inc. is offering 50% off its FIT Managed PoE Switch line, offering up to 50% off. The offering involves Ethernet networking technology. Check in directly with the company for details.
4. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging - Partnership: Sparkion and Pixii, are partnering to "streamline the EV charging landscape by seamlessly merging technologies and presenting a turnkey energy management solution with modular energy storage," the two companies said.
5. EV Charging Infrastructure - Financing Partnership: ChargePoint, EnTech Solutions and Wells Fargo are partnering to offer financing solutions for EV charger deployments. The financing can span hardware, software, installation, and warranty services.
6. EV Charging Infrastructure - $1M Project: Voltrek, an Orion Energy Systems business, has won a $1 million-plus project to deploy 43 electric vehicle chargers throughout various municipal locations. Voltrek did not disclose the specific municipalities involved.
7. Solar Power - Financial Issues: SunPower said it requires additional time to complete its financial statements included in the company's annual Form 10-K. The delay involves the "time and effort that was required to complete restatements of the Company's prior period financial statements, which were filed with the SEC on December 18, 2023," SunPower said. The filing delay surfaced after SunPower secured more than $300 million in new financing commitments, a possible sign of renewed investor confidence in the solar company, Bloomberg reported. Also, former CEO Tom Werner recently rejoined the solar company as executive chairman of the board. SunPower announced a restructuring plan and various operating cost cuts in January 2024.
8. Talent - Latin America Data Centers: Scala Data Centers has hired sustainability and engineering expert Christian Belady to drive sustainable technology advancements in Latin America's data center industry, the company said.
9. Grid Automation: GE Vernova has launched GridBeats, a portfolio of software-defined automation solutions aimed at streamlining grid digitalization and enhancing grid resilience.
10. Partnership - ESG Reporting Software: Ez XBRL Solutions and EcoActive ESG are partnering to deliver an integrated ESG and financial reporting solution.
11. Research - Suppyl Chain Visibility Challenges: Only about half of companies have visibility into more than 50% of their Tier-1 suppliers, according to Accenture and EcoVadis research. Moreover, fewer than 50% of supply chain visibility programs engage suppliers with sustainability assessments.
12. Research - U.S. Microgrid Market Forecast: The U.S. Microgrid Market will reach $26.6 billion by 2030, up from $7.88 billion in 2023, according to MarketDigits. That's a 19% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
13. Research - United States Climate Tech Spending: US clean energy and transport investment jumped 38% in 2023 over 2022, Reuters reported. Fueled by President Joe Biden’s signature climate law, investments surged to $239 billion, according to a new report.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. M&A - SMB Distribution: ProKontrol, a national distributor of HVAC/R control equipment for commercial buildings, has acquired Carostan Controls. Both companies are based in the Greater Montreal Area, HPAG Mag reported. Financial terms of the deal were niot mentioned.
2. Complete 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 States - New York City Job Training: City leaders introduced the Green Economy Action Plan -- which invests in jobs and sectors that will help the city combat climate change, and train and position New Yorkers for new types of jobs.
2. Singapore - Climate Reporting Regulations: Singapore will implement mandatory climate-related reporting requirements for listed and large non-listed companies, with obligations for some to begin disclosing in line with the IFRS’ International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards starting as early as 2025, ESG Today reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Columbia University: SUMASA Annual Sustainability Symposium 2024 (March 1, New York)
- UCONN Global Business Leadership in Sustainability Summit 2024 (March 1, Connecticut)
- Economist Impact Energy Transition Summit 2024 (March 4, London, United Kingdom)
- Sustainability Week 2024 Conference (March 4-6, London, United Kingdom)
- Washington Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) 2024 (March 4-6, Washington)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
- Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainability, green IT and renewable energy news for technology partners.
- Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.
