Here is today’s sustainability news, research and analysis for technology partners; renewable energy and green IT service providers; management consultants; CIOs; chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and c-suite members.
A. Sustainable Technology, Talent, Partnerships and Green IT Alliances
1. Talent and Executive Leadership - Microsoft: The cloud services and software company has hired McKinsey & Co. veteran William Hudson as its Asia Pacific director of sustainability policy. Related: See Microsoft's sustainability strategy & partner moves here.
2. Partnership - Software: Schneider Electric has partnered with Intel and Red Hat to release the Distributed Control Node (DCN) software framework. The framework "enables industrial companies to move to a software-defined, plug-and-produce solution, allowing them to enhance their operations, ensure quality, reduce complexity, and optimize costs," the trio said. The framework is an extension of Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Automation Expert -- an industrial automation software platform for energy management.
3. Partnership - ESG Software and Consulting: ESG Reporting Intelligence and Ulbaekgaard are partnering to promote ESG reporting software into the European market.
4. Sustainable Software Development: CAST is beta testing a CO2 Emission Estimator capability in its CAST Highlight winter 2024 software release. The SaaS-based tool "enables organizations to estimate and potentially reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption by addressing green deficiencies in their custom software application portfolios," CAST said. The beta test launched on February 3. The software already includes Green Software Insights -- which automatically analyzes application code for green impact, "giving organizations a holistic understanding of opportunities to reduce software energy consumption," the company said. The overall platform can analyze source code for Cloud Readiness, Software Composition Analysis (Open Source risks), Green Impact, Resiliency, and Technical Debt.
5. Launch - Sustainability Data: MSCI has announced MSCI Private Company Data Connect, a "centralized hub that provides general partners (“GPs”) access to private companies' sustainability and climate data and disclosures."
6. Recycling - GreenDot Exits the United States: GreenDot halted North American operations in January 2024, and will now focus on "developing advanced recycling facilities in Europe, in alignment with the anticipated Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)," the organization said. GreenDot had a North American presence for roughly 12 months.
B. Sustainability M&A, Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Financing - Renewable Energy: Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, has secured $160 million in project financing for its 127 MWdc Bayou Galion Solar project, located in Morehouse Parish in Northeast Louisiana. The project is currently under construction and is expected to be operational by fall 2024, Recurrent said. Related - Microsoft Is Customer: Microsoft will purchase 100% of the energy and renewable energy credits produced by Bayou Galion Solar.
2. Green Plains For Sale?: Green Plains is considering strategic alternatives including -- but not limited to -- "acquisitions, divestitures, a merger or sale, partnerships and financings," the company said in an earnings statement.
3. M&A - Environmental Services: Clean Harbors is acquiring HEPACO from Gryphon Investors for $400 million in cash. HEPACO provides specialized environmental and emergency response services in the Eastern United States. The deal's valuation is roughly 7.1X annual EBITDA based on expected post-acquisition synergies. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2024.
4. Complete M&A List: Here's our database of all M&A deals involving sustainability, green IT and renewable energy buyers, sellers and investors.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. European Union - ESG Investment Rules: EU states and the European Parliament reached a deal on the bloc's first ever set of rules to regulate ESG ratings of company sustainability credentials, which guide trillions of investment dollars globally, Reuters reported. The new rules are already impacting the financial services market. For instance, Deutsche Bank AG will have to divest more than 5% of holdings in some ESG funds in response to the rules, Bloomberg reported.
D. Sustainability and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Organizations and Environmental Sustainability Conference 2024 (February 8-9, California)
- Amsterdam Sustainable Coco Conference 2024 (February 8-9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
- Balkan Solar Summit 2024 (February 8-9, Banja Luca)
- Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference 2024 (February 8-10, Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
- GOA International Environment and Sustainability Summit 2024 (February 8-10, Goa, India)
- 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.
