First Look: Salesforce teams up with AT&T to cut IoT emissions

Salesforce and AT&T are teaming up to cut greenhouse gas emissions from Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices, such as construction equipment and transportation infrastructure.

Driving the news: AT&T said it's joining Salesforce's Net Zero Cloud, which allows users to track their carbon emissions.

Why it matters: The partnership could bring AT&T closer to fulfilling its Connected Climate Initiative, it said. The telecom's goal is to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion metric tons by 2035 using connectivity-based solutions.

The big picture: AT&T focuses its emissions tracking work on sectors that have large carbon footprints, such as manufacturing, energy and transportation, according to a company statement.

• Heavy machinery equipment outfitted with AT&T's IoT devices allows companies to obtain data on their performance, such as engine hours, fuel consumption, and increasingly, emissions as well, the company said.
• Such data can now be funneled into the Net Zero Cloud, allowing emissions to be calculated and tracked, it said.

What they're saying: Patrick Flynn, global head of sustainability at Salesforce, told Axios in an interview that the partnership will get “better-trusted data” to customers, “so they can use their purchasing power even more effectively to provide a tailwind for decarbonization strategies."

Context: Salesforce built its Net Zero Cloud to keep tabs on its own emissions, but now it is marketed to others, Flynn said.

• This makes it a deep-pocketed competitor to carbon accounting companies attracting venture funding, such as Sweep, Persefoni and Arcadia.