Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners, renewable energy consultants and green IT service providers. Today's sustainability news also involves management consultants, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs), c-suite members and climate accounting professionals.
A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Green IT Alliances
1. ESG Report: Involta, a data center provider backed by Carlyle, has released its second Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report.
2. Net-Zero Guidance: The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA) recently released the fourth edition of its Target-Setting Protocol, a guide that "outlines the pathway for investors to reduce portfolio emissions significantly by 2030, aligning with the 1.5°C ambition set forth in the Paris Agreement," the organization said.
3. Partnership - IBM and AWS: IBM's software portfolio -- spanning AI, security, sustainability and more -- is now available in the AWS Marketplace across 92 countries. The latest additions include Finland, Norway and Sweden. Related: IBM's sustainability strategy and partner implications. Also, the AWS sustainability strategy and partner implications.
4. Data Centers: Data4 is building data center campus to be built in Vittuone, near Milan.
5. AgTech: The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) has launched a CommodityMap platform. The free, cloud-based tool is "designed to predict environmental and social priorities in agricultural supply chains."
6. Executive Leadership - Technology Solutions: Schneider Electric has named Farrukh Shad as head of sustainability business for the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region. Over the past decade at Schneider Electric, Shad has "led business transformation initiatives and advocated for active energy management and sustainability," the company said.
7. Executive Leadership - EVs: Rivian Automotive has hired Volvo Cars veteran Javier Varela to succeed Frank Klein as COO. Varela will start at Rivian in August 2024, reporting to fonder and CEO RJ Scaringe. Klein is stepping down. The EV maker in 2024 has had two rounds of layoffs amid financial and sales challenges.
8. Financial Results - Reporting Software: Workiva revenues were $176 million in Q1 of 2024, up 17% compared to Q1 of 2023. The results generally beat Wall Street's expectations. Workiva's software supports ESG reporting, among other use cases.
9. Financial Services - Green Investment Question Marks: An activist investor group called ShareAction, which has $892 billion in assets under management, said it intends to ask HSBC at its annual general meeting to explain how it will spend its green funds, The Wall Street Journal reported.
10. Planting Trees - Challenges and Questions: Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, wants to save 1 trillion trees by 2030 but the strategy and execution aren't going well, Bloomberg reported.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. M&A - Potential Deal: Energy Capital Partners (ECP) is striving to potentially acquire Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure, Bloomberg reported.
2. M&A - Private Equity and Environmental Solutions: Trinity Investors and Insight Equity have acquired Atmos Technologies, a developer of environmental solutions aligned with sustainability. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
3. M&A - Sustainable Buildings: TÜV SÜD has acquired Sustainable Investment Group (SIG) and Green Building Education Systems (GBES). TÜV SÜD is an international provider for testing and certification. The company has a real estate and infrastructure division. SIG and GBES offer services and training for sustainable real estate in new and existing buildings, focusing the internationally recognized LEED standard.
4. Complete M&A List: Here's our database of all M&A deals involving green IT and renewable energy buyers, sellers and investors.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States - Grid Reliability Concerns: Peabody Energy Corp., the biggest U.S. coal producer, is warning that federal regulations to curb emissions from power plants pose a threat to the grid at a time when electricity demand is poised to surge, Bloomberg reported.
2. United States - EV Tax Credits: The U.S. government has loosened some rules governing electric vehicle (EV) tax credits a bit, potentially making more EVs eligible for credits of up to $7,500, the Associated Press reported.
3. United State - Infrastructure Projects: The U.S. Department of Energy has announced $500 million in grants that are available for companies to "build a safe and reliable carbon dioxide transportation system."
4. United Kingdom - Climate Action Policy Challenges: Britain's latest climate action plan is unlawful because ministers were not told of the risk that key policies could not be delivered, London's High Court ruled, in a further challenge for Britain as it navigates the move towards net zero, Reuters reported.
5. France - Wind Power: France unveiled plans to expand offshore wind farms in a bid to catch up with neighboring nations and accelerate progress toward climate targets, Bloomberg reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Gartner Supply Chain Symposium Xpo 2024 (May 6-8, Orlando, Florida)
- WasteExpo 2024 (May 6-9, Las Vegas)
- Responsible Care and Sustainability Conference 2024 (May 6-9, Miami Beach, Florida)
- ServiceNow Knowledge 2024 (May 7-9, Las Vegas, Nevada)
- VelocityEHS Accelerate User Conference 2024 (May 7-9, Austin, Texas)
- 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.
