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. IT Services: Deloitte and Google have published a Digital Sprinters sustainability report -- which explains how governments can leverage AI, cloud services and the Internet of Things to reduce global emissions.
2. Tracking ESG Regulations: Herbert Smith Freehills, a global law firm, has developed a Global ESG Tracker software tool that helps customers to monitor ESG-related legal developments in all jurisdictions across the world. The legal firm also launched a CSRD Mapper in May 2024.
3. Consulting - Private Equity: Schneider Electric has expanded its Sustainability Business consulting services to private equity and financial services firms. The expanded consulting practice focuses on an "integrated approach to ESG and sustainability consulting, energy procurement, sustainability solutions and renewable energy, enabled by a strong suite of digital solutions," the company said.
4. Research - Sustainability Energy Management Software Market: The global sustainability energy management software market will reach $5.2 billion by 2024, up from $1.7 billion in 2024, according to Fact.MR. That's an 11.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), the forecast said.
5. Research - IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Market Growth Forecast: The global IT asset disposition (ITAD) industry will reach $57.4 billion by 2032, up from $19.9 billion by 2022, according to Allied Market Research. That's an 11.% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), the researcher said.
6. SEC Disclosures: S&P 500 companies are mostly steering clear of providing greenhouse gas emissions disclosures in their annual reports to the SEC, as rules requiring such climate reporting face an uncertain future, BloombergLaw reported.
7. Data Centers - Underwater Cooling: Microsoft has discontinued its underwater data center research effort, known as Project Natick, Data Center Dynamics reported.
8. Data Centers - Immersion Technology: ZTE is touting IceTank -- an immersion cooling server designed for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) data center use cases.
9. Quantum Computing: Pasqal, a developer of neutral-atom quantum computing, has loaded of over 1,000 atoms in a single shot within their quantum computing setup. The milestone marks a "crucial step in Pasqal’s progress towards quantum advantage and scalable quantum processors," the company asserts.
10. AI Chatbot - Amazon R&D: Amazon is working Metis -- an AI chatbot to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT, Business Insider reported. Metis would be powered by an internal AI model, known as Olympus. Metis, in Greek mythology, is the first diety of wisdom and deep thought, Wikipedia notes.
11. AI Consulting: Microsoft's deal to invest $1.5 billion in AI consulting firm G42 -- based in the UAE -- is "generally a positive development" because it forced G42 to sever ties to China's Huawei, a White House official said, according to Reuters. Some critics had wondered if the Microsoft-G42 relationship would face potential national security concerns from the U.S. federal government.
12. AI Chatbot - Google R&D: Google is developing a service that would allow users to develop chatbots that emulate celebrities, The Information reported. Meta Platforms and Character.AI already offer such services, the report noted.
13. Solar Energy Concerns: SolarEdge shares fell nearly 14% after-market on June 24, 2024, after announcing plans for a $300 million private placement, while also disclosing that one of its customers filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, SeekingAlpha reported.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Funding - Carbon Removal Startup: Net Zero Company, a Sweden-based startup that develops carbon removal solutions has raised $5.5 million in seed funding, Finsmes reported.
2. Funding: Neustark, a Switzerland-based carbon removal provider, has raised $69 million. Decarbonization Partners, formed by BlackRock and Temasek, led the round.
3. Funding - AI and Customer Experience (CX): Zendesk has launched a venture fund to “fuel AI startups.” The first two investments are:
- PolyAI, a developer of advanced conversational voice assistants.
- unitQ, an AI-powered product quality platform.
4. M&A - Energy Efficiency Consulting Services: Resource Innovations, a tech-enabled services company focused on energy efficiency and sustainability, has acquired Cadeo, a clean energy consulting firm that focuses on transforming the way energy is used, generated, and managed. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
5. M&A - Circular Construction Services: Holcim has acquired the Cand-Landi Group in Switzerland to advance decarbonization and circular construction.
6. 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. European Union: The European Central Bank plans to set emission reduction targets for companies in its bond holding portfolio and could take "remedial action" if they fail to comply, Reuters reported.
2. South Africa - Financial Questions: South Africa could lose $9.3 billion in climate financing if the country delays the closing of a number of coal-fired power plants, Bloomberg reported.
3. Japan: A renewable energy initiative, whose members include Apple, Meta and Nike, called on Japan to triple its capacity of clean electricity as the country reviews its national energy strategy, Bloomberg reported. The initiative known as RE100 suggested that the nation increase its installed capacity of renewable power to 363 gigawatts by 2035 from 121 gigawatts in 2022, the report noted.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Carbon Capture Technology Expo 2024 (June 26-27, Houston, Texas)
- E-Waste World Conference and Expo 2024 (June 26-27, Germany)
- Environmental Packaging Summit 2024 (June 26-27, London, United Kingdom)
- Cities Climate Actuon Summit (June 26-27, London, United Kingdom)
- CleanTech Venture Day 2024 (June 2, London, United Kingdom)
- 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.
