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. DeepSeek and Data Center Energy Needs: Conventional wisdom says AI data centers will consume more and more energy. But DeepSeek's AI model apparently will require far less hardware and associated energy than OpenAI and Anthropic -- at least for the near term, Bloomberg reports. Even with DeepSeek's emergence, Sustainable Tech Partner believes data center energy requirements will continue to skyrocket. Why? Because lower-cost AI models will accelerate AI's ubiquity. So even as per-query costs drop, the number of AI queries will continue to skyrocket. Thus, we think data center power requirements also will skyrocket.
2. Exit - Chief Sustainability Officer: DP World Group CSO Maha AlQattan has exited the supply chain solutions provider. Related: See global chief sustainability officer database.
3. Talent - Direct to Chip Cooling Technology: Accelsius has promoted Liz Cruz to chief marketing officer, and hired Dell’Oro Group veteran Lucas Beran, a data center industry expert, as director of product marketing.
4. Case Study - Energy Consumption: The City of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in partnership with Johnson Controls, has made multiple infrastructure updates and solar array deployments since 20189. The results: The city has generated $7.98 million in total savings and reduced energy consumption by 35% in certain buildings, the municipality said.
5. Partnership - Accounting and Consulting: Accounting and advisory firm HLB Mann Judd and sustainability consulting firm 2XE are partnering to help Australia customers comply with sustainability regulations.
6. Financial Services: Invesco plans to remove the word "sustainability" from multiple strategies, CityWire reported. It's the latest sign that financial services firms are distancing themselves from ESG-related terms amid pushback from conservative politicians in the United States.
7. Passing: Mikkel Larsen, a prominent figure in the global carbon markets and sustainability sector, passed away unexpectedly last week at the age of 50, Eco Business reported. As the former Chief Executive Officer of Climate Impact X (CIX), a Singapore-based carbon exchange, Larsen played a pivotal role in shaping the voluntary carbon market with a focus on transparency and integrity, MongaBay reported.
8. OpenAi Counters India Lawsuit: OpenAI asked an Indian court to quash a plea by an organization representing Indian and global book publishers alleging use of copyright content for training AI models. Reuters reported and SeekingAlpha summarized. Related: See all generative AI lawsuits and court rulings.
B. Sustainability M&A, Climate Tech Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. M&A - Deal Blocked?: Juniper Networks stock dropped 7% in premarket trading after a report that the Dept. of Justice may be more inclined to file a lawsuit to block Juniper's planned $14 billion sale to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), SeekingAlpha reported.
2. Financing - Solar Energy Farm: Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company has secured $950 million in aggregate financing for Cider -- which is expected to be the largest solar project in the state of New York.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States - Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): In a letter dated January 24, General Atomics CEO Linden Blue urged Elon Musk of DOGE to reform and simplify the Pentagon’s defense acquisition system, Reuters reported. General Automics deverlops military drones. Related: See all DOGE updates.
2. United States - AI for Government Agencies: OpenAI has launched a new version ChatGPT designed for U.S. government agencies.
3. France: The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, located in Nice, France, is touting various sustainable IT initiatives.
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.