Here is today’s sustainable IT services and climate tech news, research and analysis -- written for technology partners, green IT service providers, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and climate accounting professionals.
A. Sustainable IT, Talent, Partnerships and Green Tech Alliances
1. Refurbished Technology Sales: Alchemy's global refurbished tech trading platform, Callisto, remains in growth mode and now serves more than 3,000 wholesaler buyers and sellers globally, the company said. In the past 12 months, 620 new buyers began trading through Callisto and the platform recorded a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of $600 million, the firm added. Overall, Callisto has "facilitated the sale of used, refurbished and like-new tech amounting to $1.6 billion in GMV since April 2019," Alchemy noted.
2. Data Center Energy Efficiency: A small Linux kernel software update can cut data center energy use by 30%, research from the University of Waterloo found.
3. Integration - Energy Management and Cloud Services: Baker Hughes is further optimizing and integrating their energy management software with Microsoft Azure cloud services, the companies said.
4. Amazon Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): Amazon and energy supplier Iberdrola have expanded their strategic partnership, which originally surfaced in 2022. The new agreement involves solar and wind energy across five countries.
5. Amazon - Asia Pacific Data Centers: Amazon Web Services (AWS) has begun using low-carbon concrete in the construction of new data centers in Japan, Data Center Dynamics reported.
6. Partnership - Smart Building Technology: ABB's InSite energy management system is set to integrate into Samsung's SmartThings and SmartThings Pro platforms. The integration "allows users to easily visualize, control, and optimize energy consumption in residential, multi-apartment, mixed-use, and light commercial buildings," the companies said.
7. Partnership - Solar Energy: OpenSolar’s design software is now available within the Sunnova Catalyst dealer platform, the two companies said. The software allows Sunnova dealers to "generate accurate proposals in seconds," according to Jake Wachman, Sunnova’s senior VP of technology and software engineering.
8. Executive Departure - Wind Energy: Orsted is parting ways with CEO Mads Nipper as the Danish wind energy group grapples with supply-chain bottlenecks, high financing costs and U.S. President Donald Trump’s opposition to wind power, The Wall Street Journal reported.
B. Sustainability M&A, Climate Tech Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. M&A - IT Services and Environmental Consulting: Parsons has acquired TRS Group, an environmental solutions firm, for $36 million, the companies said.
2. M&A - Smart Building Technology: Private equity firm Platte River Equity has acquired Building Controls & Solutions (BCS) from LKCM Headwater Investments. BCS is a value-added distributor of building automation solutions that "optimize building performance, enhance energy efficiency and improve occupant comfort," the buyer said.
3. M&A - Energy Visualization Software: SLB is acquiring Interactive Network Technologies (INT), a developer of data access and visualization tools for energy industry operators. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
4. M&A - ESG Software: ExtractAlpha has acquired ESG Analytics, a platform that offers real-time insights into environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
5. M&A - EV Charging App: Amber has acquired Charge HQ, an Australian electric vehicle (EV) smart charging app that "enables users to optimise their charging for cost savings and emissions reduction," the buyer said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States Secretary of Energy: Chris Wright was confirmed as Secretary of Energy, putting the founder of an oil and gas fracking services company in charge of an agency that will play a key role in President Donald Trump’s plans for a sweeping overhaul of US energy policy, Bloomberg reported. Wright reassured Democrats that he also supports renewable energy sources -- such as solar, wind, goethermal and hydropower, the report noted.
2. United States - Austin, Texas Faces Challenges: The city of Austin released a memo on Jan. 16 showing it is behind on the majority of its sustainability goals to reduce greenhouse emissions community-wide, The Daily Texan reported.
3. United States - New Jersey Wind Challenges: New Jersey will not move forward with an award in its fourth offshore wind solicitation, the process by which it agrees to buy electricity from planned wind projects, Bloomberg reported. It’s the latest blow to the struggling US industry, the report noted.
4. European Union - ESG Regulations: A group of investors representing €6.6 trillion ($6.8 trillion) of assets is calling on European officials not to scale back ESG regulations, Bloomberg reported. The concerned group includes the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif) and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the report said. France and Germany, meanwhile, have been pushing back against established carbon reduction regulations.
D. Sustainable IT and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Sustainable Manufacturing Expo 2025Â (February 4-5, Anaheim, California)
- Sustainability Expo London 2025Â (February 5-6, London, United Kingdom)
- AHR Expo 2025Â (February 10-12, Orlando, Florida)
- GreenBiz 25Â (February 10-12, Phoenix, Arizona)
- IoT Evolution Expo 2025Â (February 11-13, Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
- Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.
- Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainable IT, climate tech and renewable energy news for technology partners.
