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. Microsoft - Data Center Talent: Microsoft plans to deploy an energy infrastructure team as data centers struggle to power ever-larger facilities on an increasingly constrained grid, Data Center Dynamics reported. Related: Microsoft's sustainable IT services strategy.
2. AWS Cloud Services: Customers can use the AWS Config tool to "assess, audit, and evaluate AWS resources at scale against the Sustainability Pillar best practices from the AWS Well-Architected Framework," the cloud services giant emphasized in a blog. Matt Williams and Felix Guglielmi penned the blog. Related: Amazon's sustainable IT services strategy.
3. Apple AI Executive: Apple has tapped company veteran Kim Vorrath to fix and improve Apple's struggling AI and Siri offerings, Bloomberg reported. Related: Apple's sustainable IT services strategy.
4. Exit - Financial Services Talent: Julie Moret, has left Northern Trust Asset Management, where she was global head of sustainable investing and stewardship, InvestmentNews reported.
5. Carbon Accounting Education: Keep an eye on Carbon Academy, a website featuring a "range of courses designed to deepen your understanding of the Carbon Economy, carbon credits, and carbon markets."
6. Bill Gates - Nuclear Power for Data Centers: TerraPower, a nuclear startup backed by Bill Gates, has signed a collaboration agreement with Sabey Data Centers (SDC) that calls on SDC to leverage TerraPower's energy in "current and future data center operations.”
B. Sustainability M&A, Climate Tech Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Funding: Recycle Track Systems (RTS) has raised over $40 million to "drive innovation and reshape the future of waste management."
2. M&A - Software: Emerson is buying all of Aspen Technology at an enterprise value of $16.8 billion. AspenTech develops software that "tackles the most complex process manufacturing challenges, creating value and improving profitability for our customers." Read between the lines, and AspenTech's software potentially improves customers' sustainability efforts. Emerson already owned 57% of AspenTech.
3. M&A - Energy for Data Centers: Blackstone is buying Potomac Energy Center, a natural gas power plant in Virginia that supports local data center customers. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States vs. China - AI Software: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has developed a low-cost AI model that rivals U.S.-based startups such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The news pressured major U.S. technology stocks -- including Nvidia.
2. United States - Paris Agreement: More more than 130 House Democrats introduced a resolution that calls on President Trump to restore U.S. participation in the the Paris Agreement.
3. United States - Indiana Nuclear Power Data Centers: Several bills that would make Indiana residents pay some of the cost of building small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are working their way through the Indiana Statehouse. But a Senate bill that passed committee, known as SB 423, would "allow the tech companies driving the need for these plants to share that cost," Indiana Public Radio reported.
4. France - ESG Challenges: France has called for a massive "regulatory pause" as corporations struggle to compete globally while also complying with CSRD regulations, Bloomberg reported.
D. Sustainable IT and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Cleantech Forum North America 2025 (January 27-29 in San Diego, California)
- Seminole Tribe of Florida Renewable Energy and Sustainability Conference 2025 (January 27-29, Hollywood, Florida)
- Sustainability Forum Middle East 2025 (January 28-29, Kingdom of Bahrain)
- EV Charging Infrastructure Summit North America: East (January 28-29, Atlanta, Georgia)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
- Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainable IT, climate tech and renewable energy news for technology partners.
- Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.
