Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners, management consultants, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.
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A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Alliances
1. New Corporate Sustainability Reports: Our database tracking corporate sustainability reports and associated net-zero goals now spans 119 companies and organizations. Today's additions include Ameren, Atalaya Mining, CarMax, CLEAResult, OceanaGold, Teleflex and Westinghouse.
2. Sustainable Technology Partner Programs: Our database tracking sustainable technology partner programs now spans 78 companies and organizations. CLEAResult, a provider of energy efficiency solutions, is the latest addition to the databse.
3. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE): The corporate IT technology company "introduced a series of training modules to help its IT sales teams accurately represent and sell customers on the vendor’s environmental sustainability-focused capabilities," according to HPE Chief Sustainability Officer Monica Batchelder, reported SDX Central.
4. Lenovo 360 Circle: Keep an eye on the Lenovo 360 Circle program, which "aims to provide a platform for our partners to gain expertise and guide them to resources to help standardize their approach to their sustainability journey," according to Virginie Le Barbu, global sustainability channel director at the PC giant.
5. Partnership - Agriculture and Cloud Services: Start-Up Nation Central and Microsoft are collaborating to promote Israeli AgriFood Tech startups in the international marketplace, the two organizations said. The collaboration focuses on connecting AI, data, cloud, and machine learning technologies from agricultural information to Microsoft's AI tools, they added. Start-Up Nation Central is a non-profit organization that "connects Israeli innovation to the world in order to help international entities solve global challenges."
6. Ericsson - Quarterly Sustainability Update: Telecom equipment maker Ericsson is set to host a quarterly sustainability and responsible business update on May 30. Heather Johnson, head of sustainability and corporate responsibility, is expected to be on the webcast.
7. Research - IT Asset Disposition Market (ITAD) Growth Forecast: The global ITAD market is expected to reach $57.4 billion by 2032, up from $19.9 billion in 2022, according to Allied Market Research. That's a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5% during the forecast period, Allied said.
8. Research - Smart Building Market Growth Forecast: The global smart building market is expected to reach $570 billion by 2030, generating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.8% from 2023, according to Grand View Research Inc.
9. Carbon Capture Hype: From the US climate bill to the United Nations COP summit, leaders in government and business are pushing for carbon capture technology like never before, Bloomberg reported. But can the technology fulfill its promise? The report carefully explores that question and the challenges ahead.
10. Nobel Sustainability Trust News: The Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) will inaugurate the World Sustainability Standards Organization (WSSO) in October 2023. WSSO's mission is to "unify standards in sustainable development fields such as energy, carbon credit, green finance, the environmental industry, energy conservation, carbon neutrality-related technologies, and ESG," the organization said.
B. Sustainability M&A & Investments
1. M&A - Solar Energy: Spanish renewable energy company Bruc has acquired eight new solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation plants from Opdenergy, according to Power Technology. The projects have a combined capacity of 444MW. The deal is part of the agreement reached between Bruc and Opdenergy in August 2021, which included the sale of 20 solar PV power generation plants totaling a 1.1GW capacity, Power Technology said.
2. Funding: SaveMoneyCutCarbon, a United Kingdom-based money-saving platform focused on sustainability, has raised £5m in growth funding. Existing investors, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and IW Capital have been joined by new parties including the Low Carbon Initiative Fund 2 (LCIF2) and Dominic Christian, Global Chairman of Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions business, and former Deputy Chair of Lloyds of London.
3. Funding - Enterprise Sustainability Software: StepChange has raised $4 million in seed funding led by BEENEXT and Global Founders Capital. StepChange develops a SaaS platform that "enables large enterprises to manage their ESG metrics and reduce emissions across their supply chains," the company said.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability News
1. United States - Clean Energy Projects: Rural electric cooperatives, utilities, and other energy providers will soon be able to apply for nearly $11 billion in grants and loans for clean energy projects, funded by the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last August, the Biden administration said, according to Reuters.
2. United States - California Hydropower Generation: Record-breaking rain and snow in parts of the western United States contribute to the Energy Information Administration’s forecast of a 72% rise in hydropower generation in California this year compared with last year, EIA said in its latest short-term energy outlook, Public Power reported.
3. United Kingdom - Electric Grid Concerns: The UK’s push to reach net-zero emissions in its power system is being undermined by the long wait time for new projects to connect to the electric grid, the head of Britain’s energy regulator warned, according to Bloomberg.
4. Ukraine - Green Reconstruction Priorities: Ukrainian activists, scientists and architects are pushing for a postwar recovery unlike any in history, with a focus on climate resilience and clean energy, Bloomberg reported.
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