Sustainable IT Services News 23 October 2025: Alphabet Quantum, Cisco Circular Design, Arbor Energy, Schneider Electric Consulting and More.

Here is today's sustainable IT services news, research and analysis for channel partners, MSPs, climate accounting professionals, consultants and the chief sustainability officers (CSOs) they serve.

A. Sustainable IT Partnerships, Strategic Alliances and Strategies

1. IT Infrastructure and Circular Design: Cisco has reached its goal to incorporate Circular Design Principles into 100% of new products and packaging by the end of our 2025 fiscal year, CSO disclosed in a blog. Related: Cisco sustainability strategy and channel partner implications.

2. Consulting Services: Schneider Electric has officially launched SE Advisory Services, the company's flagship global consulting brand. Key focus areas include Sustainable Business & Industrial Transformation; Risk Management & Resilience; Resource & Asset Performance; and Intelligent Software.

3. Data Center Design Strategies: Greenflash unveiled a "turnkey" infrastructure solution that accelerates “time-to-power” for large-load data centers under ERCOT SB6, the company said. Greenflash acquires, develops, finances, owns, and operates grid-scale energy storage, power generation, and data-center-powered shell infrastructure globally.

4. Quantum Computing Milestone: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said the tech giant's quantum computing chip, known as Willow, has achieved the “first-ever verifiable quantum advantage," SeekingAlpha reported. Related: Quantum computing developments and channel partner implications.

5. Photonics for Data Centers: Researchers from Boston University, NY CREATES, Lightmatter and Cornell Tech have published a research paper describing how photonics technology can improve AI data center energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

6. AI and Energy Gap Issues: The gap between the energy demanded by AI and the current global energy supply is huge and will not be closed in our lifetime, according to Dave Stangis, a senior executive at Apollo Global Management Inc., Bloomberg reported.

7. AI Lawsuit - Reddit vs. Perplexity AI: Social media platform Reddit sued Perplexity AI and three other entities, alleging their involvement in an “industrial-scale, unlawful” economy to “scrape” the comments of millions of Reddit users for commercial gain. (Source: PBS). Related: See all AI lawsuits, judgments and court rulings listed.

8. Layoffs - Electric Vehicles: Rivian layoffs will impact about 600 employees or 4% of its workforce, The Wall Street Journal reported. In September 2025 or so, Rivian did a smaller round of layoffs, affecting 1.5% of its workforce, the Journal noted. Related: See all sustainability industry layoffs listed.

B. Sustainable IT Investments, Funding, Earnings and Business Launches

1. M&A: ASUENE has acquired Iconic Air, a SaaS company that provides CO₂ visualization and methane leak detection solutions, according to a LinkedIn update announcing the deal. This is ASUENE's second acquisition in the United States.

2. Funding - Data Center Energy Startup: Arbor Energy -- a startup founded by former SpaceX employees -- has raised $55 million for technology that runs on natural gas and can provide always-available, carbon-free electricity for AI data centers, Bloomberg reported.

3. Startup: Alumni from Bill Gates’ energy innovation group have launched a new organization to push renewable energy, Politico reported. The Clean Economy Project brings together leaders who formerly worked in policy at Breakthrough Energy, which shrunk its operations in early 2025, the report said.

C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies, Regulations and News

1. European Union Debate: The European Parliament rejected a proposed compromise to scale back the EU’s sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements, a move that deepens political divisions and delays progress on the bloc’s broader simplification agenda, Seneca ESG reported.

2. European Union - US and Qatar Pushback: The US and Qatar have urged European Union member states to abandon a sustainability directive that they say will affect the bloc's ability to import liquefied natural gas, Bloomberg reported.

D. Sustainability Conferences, Summits and Events

1. ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference 2025 (October 22-24, Chicago, Illinois)
2. E-Scrap Conference 2025 (October 27-29, Grapevine, Texas)
3. Sustainable Cold Chain for the Global South 2025 (October 28-29, England)
4. NJBIA’s Energy and Environmental Policy Forum 2025 (October 28-29, New Jersey)
5. EcologiQ Green Infrastructure Conference 2025 (October 29-30, Melbourne, Australia)
6. Complete Sustainability Conference Calendar

E. Previous Updates & Future News

1. Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.
2. Previous News: All of our daily news updates are here.