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. How to Sell Sustainability: Bain & Co says companies should focus on these four things.
2. International Expansion - Software: 3E, a provider of SaaS solutions for renewable energy assets, has expanded into the United States and opened an office in Raleigh, North Carolina.
3. Partnership - Home Energy Technology: Eaton and Tesla are partnering to "boost the functionality and adoption of home energy storage and solar installations in North America." Product launches, expected in 2025, will "make it easier and faster for installers and homeowners to achieve intelligent load management functionality that helps optimize energy use and extend backup duration during a grid outage," the two companies said.
4. Partnership - EV Chargers: Blink Charging Co. and WEX are partnering to "enhance the integration of EV charging into mixed energy fleets," the two companies said. Among the results: WEX’s network will have roughly 130,000 public chargers across the United States.
5. Apple Product Launches and E-Waste: The Apple iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods 4 launch announcements each briefly mentioned Apple's sustainability efforts. But company critics say Apple's annual product launches and planned product obsolescence contribute to global e-waste problems. Also, Apple Intelligence capabilities -- expected to launch in October October -- didn't mention whether the company will align AI with sustainability.
6. Layoffs: Swedish battery maker Northvolt will lay off some employees amid slowing growth in the EV market. The actual job cut figure is still pending.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Accelerator: Suffolk Technologies has selected five startups for its fifth annual BOOST accelerator. They are: Genia, Kroo, Novl, Tangible and Trunk. Those startups leverage artificial intelligence to "streamline design, prefabrication, sustainability efforts, project management and data." BOOST is an eight-week accelerator designed to "drive growth and equip innovative built environment startups with the resources, mentorship, and industry connections they need to transform the sector," the company said. Related List: 50+ sustainability accelerators for startups.
2. M&A Financing - Solar Technology: Complete Solar has raised more than $40 million to acquire certain SunPower business units, the buyer said. SunPower filed for bankruptcy in August 2024.
3. M&A - Consulting: Earth Finance, a climate strategy and financing firm, has acquired Water Foundry, a global water strategy consultancy. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
4. 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. United States - SEC ESG Rules: It's unclear if the SEC's long-proposed climate and ESG disclosure rules will ever be formalized, Bloomberg reported.
2. Europe - ESG Regulations: Companies across Europe allege that ESG regulations makes it difficult to compete with U.S.-based rivals, Bloomberg reported.
3. India - Steel Policy: India will formulate a green steel policy and will consider government procurement for decarbonized steel, Reuters reported.
4. China and Norway - Policy Discussions: China and Norway agreed to set up green transition talks every two years, Reuters reported.
5. China - Building Material Policies: China's plan to expand its carbon market to steel, cement and aluminum will cover 60% of its total climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, but the relatively low bar set for companies could blunt its impact in the first phase, Reuters reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- ICSD 2024 (September 11-12, Rome, Italy)
- ReThink HK 2024 (September 12-13, Hong Kong)
- Louisiana Sustainability Conference 2024 (September 13-14, Louisiana)
- Workday Rising 2024 (September 16-19, Las Vegas)
- Net Zero Conference 2024 (September 17-18, Anaheim, California)
- 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.
