Here is today’s sustainable IT services news, research and analysis -- written for technology partners, green IT service providers, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and climate accounting professionals.
A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Green IT Alliances
1. Microsoft Talent: Microsoft has introduced a new supplier decarbonization team focused on addressing the growing carbon footprint of its cloud and AI operations, ESG Today reported. Key names to know, according to the report, include:
- Tim Hopper, Cloud Supply Chain Sustainability Manager;
- Ray Waweru, Senior Program Manager, Cloud Services Sustainability; and
- Sofia Khan, Scope 3 Decarbonization.
2. Channel Chief - Sustainable IT Solutions: Schneider Electric has appointed named Hanne Sjøberg as its new VP for Channels, Secure Power division, Europe. Sjøberg joined Schneider Electric in 2016. She previously held key posts at TD Synnex. Sjøberg succeeds David Terry, who shifts to a new role leading Schneider Electric's AI Ecosystem.
3. Data Center Carbon Emissions: A boom in data centers is expected to produce about 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030 -- or roughly 40% of what the entire U.S. emits in a year, according to Morgan Stanley research and a Reuters recap.
4. Building Management: Keep an eye on BuilMirai, an emerging IoT solution for building management from Hitachi.
5. Wildfire Technology: Dryad Networks has launched the third-generation of its ultra-early wildfire detection and forest management platform.
6. Partnership: Energywell and Branch Energy are partnering to accelerate behind-the-meter battery installations.
7. Electric Vehicles (EVs) - Strategy Shift: Swedish automaker Volvo Cars abandoned its target of going all electric by 2030, Reuters reported, saying it expects hybrid models to remain in the mix at that time.
8. Layoffs - EV Charging: ChargePoint layoffs will impact 15% of company staff at the electric vehicle (EV) charging company, according to an SEC filing. Revenue was $108.5 million in Q2 of fiscal 2025, down 28% from $150.5 million in Q2 of fiscal 2024. This ChargePoint's second round of layoffs in 2024; the earlier job cuts were in January.
9. Layoffs - Ride Sharing: Lyft layoffs will impact 1% of employees, and the company expects charges between $34 million to $46 million tied to the layoffs, The Wall Street Journal reported. Also, Lyft is discontinuing dockless scooters in Washington, D.C., and exploring alternatives in Denver, the report said.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Accelerator: Digital Catapult has launched an International Supply Chain Accelerator focused on two areas:
2. Financing - Data Centers: Equinix has issued more than $750 million in green bonds to "advance on its sustainability initiatives and drive improvements in the operational eco-efficiency of its business," the company said.
3. R&D - Battery Energy Storage: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $125 million in funding for two Energy Innovation Hub teams. The focus: Accelerate next generation battery and energy storage technology development beyond today’s generation of lithium (Li)-ion batteries. The research teams are led by Argonne National Laboratory and Stanford University.
4. Funding - AI Startup: Safe Superintelligence (SSI), co-founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has raised $1 billion in cash to help develop safe artificial intelligence systems that far surpass human capabilities, Reuters reported. Sources say SSI's valuation is $5 billion -- despite the company having no revenue and only 10 employees. Key investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global and SV Angel. NFDG, an investment partnership run by Nat Friedman and SSI's Chief Executive Daniel Gross, also participated, the report said.
5. Funding - Direct Air Capture: Carbyon, a direct air capture (DAC) startup, has raised €15.3 million (US$16.9 million) in Series A funding.
6. Funding - Renewable Energy Installers: Reonic has raised €13 million in Series A funding, TechCrunch reported. In some ways, Reonic sounds like PSA software for renewable energy installers.
7. M&A - Software: AMCS, a provider of sustainability software, has acquired Qv21 Technologies, a provider of SaaS-based fleet management and logistics software. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
8. Complete M&A List: Here's our database of all M&A deals involving green IT and renewable energy buyers, sellers and investors.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. Global Renewable Energy Production: Zero-carbon technologies comprised more than 40% of global electricity generation for the first time in 2023, BloombergNEF reported and The Wall Street Journal recapped.
2. United States - California Regulations: California’s greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements are slated to move forward as originally planned after a proposal to delay them by two years failed to sway state legislators, The Wall Street Journal reported. The bills, known as SB 253 and SB 261, say that initial climate disclosures are due in 2026.
3. Africa: The impact of global warming is costing African nations up to 5% of their economic output, the United Nations climate chief said, calling for more investments to help adapt to climate change, Reuters reported.
4. Malaysia - Aviation: Malaysia is targeting net zero emissions in its aviation sector by 2050 through the launch of a decarbonisation plan, Reuters reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Workiva Amplify 2024 (September 9-11, Denver, Colorado)
- RE+ 2024 (September 9-12, Anaheim, California)
- Diligent Elevate 2024 (September 9-11, Houston, Texas)
- Platform Global 2024 (September 10-12, Antibes, France)
- Sustainability Live London (September 10-11, London, UK)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
- Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainability, green IT and renewable energy news for technology partners.
- Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.
