Sustainability News for Technology Partners: 06 June 2023

Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners, management consultants, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.

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A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Alliances

1. Corporate Sustainability Reports Database: Our database tracking corporate sustainability reports and associated net-zero goals now spans 174 companies and organizations. Today's additions include reports from Bristow Group, Crestwood Equity Partners; Global Medical REIT; printer maker Epson; REIT provider Getty Realty; and legal firm Osborne Clarke.

2. Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) Database: We now list 277 chief sustainability officers in this database. The latest additions include TUI Group CSO Thomas Ellerbeck; Zain Group CSO Jennifer Suleiman; and Epson America Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer Kendra Jones.

3. Partnership - Collaboration Software: Crewdle, a decentralized streaming company, has partnered with Webex by Cisco to provided "enhanced collaboration experiences while reducing their environmental footprint," the two companies said.

4. Talent - Global Tourism: TUI Group named Kathrin Möllers to succeed Charlotte Wwieble as group director sustainability & ESG -- effective on July 1, 2023. Möllers will report to Thomas Ellerbeck, member of the group executive committee and chief sustainability officer of TUI Group.

5. Partnership - Solar Energy Deployments: Blue Raven Solar is expanding the adoption of Enphase Energy Systems powered by IQ8 Microinverters. Specific deployment figures and associated details were not disclosed.

6. E-commence and Packaging Waste: Walmart is taking new steps to eliminate 2,000 tons of plastic waste associated with online orders, the retail giant said.

7. Research - ESG Disclosures: What percentage of businesses are making progress on their Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 disclosure efforts? Deloitte's Sustainability Action Report offers some research findings.

B. Sustainability M&A, Investments and Funding

1. Funding - Green Data Centers: Swedish startup Evroc, which is backed by EQT Ventures and Norrsken VC, plans to raise and invest 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) over the next couple of years to start operating two "hyperscale" data centers that will leverage eco load balancers, Reuters reported. The load balancers will move data processing between Evroc's data centers based on where renewable energy is most readily available and affordable, the report said.

2. M&A - Solar Project: Linea Energy has acquired a 490 MWDC solar project in Texas from Horus Energy of London, England. The acquired project is expected to generate enough clean energy to power more than 63,000 homes, the buyer said.

3. M&A - Environmental Services: Miller Environmental Group Inc., backed by private equity firm GenNx360 Capital Partners, has acquired AB Environmental. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. AB has provided environmental response, remediation, transportation, and recycling services throughout the greater New York Metropolitan area since 1980. Miller Environmental and AB are both based on Long Island, New York.

4. M&A Database: Our database tracking M&A deals involving sustainable technology & energy has grown to 70 transactions for 2023.

C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News

1. Carbon Offset Rules: The $2 billion market for carbon offsets is heading for a massive reset, as a growing number of sovereign governments announce their intention to tax, regulate or restrict trade in credits generated within their borders, Bloomberg reported.

2. United States vs European Union - ESG Regulations: Two senior Republican lawmakers who want to keep European Union ESG measures from gaining traction in the US are asking the Biden administration for details on coordination efforts, Bloomberg said.

3. European Union - Renewable Energy Pricing Policy: The European Commission has recommended ending a revenue cap on low-cost energy producers, who have blamed the emergency measure for hampering investments in wind and solar, Bloomberg reported. The bloc’s executive arm said that implementation of the cap put on so-called inframarginal producers that provide electricity at a cost below prices set by more expensive generators had lacked consistency, the report said.

4. Nigeria: Keep an eye on the Telecommunication & Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG), which is working to be a "go-to hub for tech sustainability leadership" in Nigeria. The group is meeting quarterly to promote sustainability in the Nigerian ICT sector.

5. India - Electric Vehicles: Global IT consulting firm Accenture plans to add more than 200 electric vehicles (EVs) to its transportation fleet. The effort will provide "climate-smart travel options" for Accenture employees across four locations: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and the National Capital Region.

6. Egypt - Smart Cities Business Center: Siemens opened Egypt's first Smart Cities Experience Center. The center, located in Cairo, showcases the latest technologies for creating sustainable and efficient smart city infrastructure, buildings, and industries.

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