Global environmental challenges can only be addressed effectively by working together. Cisco collaborates with industry peers and engages with governments and other key stakeholders on the development of relevant environmental regulations and standards. Through targeted awareness and education efforts, we encourage people inside and outside Cisco to make the commitment to reduce their environmental impacts.
Industry partnerships
We collaborate on environmental issues through international partnerships such as these:- European Commission ICT for Energy Efficiency Forum
aims to develop a framework to measure and report ICT energy footprints. Cisco was involved in the management and steering committee to help launch the forum in February 2010. - Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) promotes better working and environmental conditions in global electronics supply chains. Cisco serves on the EICC's Board of Directors, participates in its Environmental Work Group, and is piloting its Carbon Reporting System.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders: a partnership that works with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies. Cisco has been a member since 2007 and announced its 25% greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal through the program (see Energy and Climate Change).
- Global eSustainability Initiative (GeSI) is an industry partnership dedicated to promoting sustainability through ICT. Cisco was a board member in FY10, cochairs the European policy working group, and participates in the climate change working group. Cisco also cosponsored and contributed to a follow-up study to GeSI's "Smart 2020 Report" on the enabling effects of ICT to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (see Low-Carbon Solutions).
- International Telecommunication Union is the leading UN agency for ICT issues. Cisco led one of its energy efficiency working groups in FY09 and FY10.
- World Economic Forum (WEF) Task Force on Low-Carbon Economic Prosperity aims to highlight the role of ICT in mitigating climate change. Cisco CEO John Chambers is a WEF Climate Change Ambassador.
- International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) is the leading technical industry consortium developing sustainable solutions. Cisco is on the Board of Directors and the Technical Committee, and chairs the Eco-Impact Evaluator Project to develop a simplified method for assessing a product's lifecycle environmental impacts (piloted on one of our products in FY10). The project is initially focused on product carbon footprint and will expand to other environmental factors.
For a fuller list of organizations we work with on environmental and other CSR issues, see Industry Collaboration.
Engaging with governments
Cisco engages with governments to monitor and influence the development of sound, focused environmental regulations (see, for example, our position on climate change). This engagement is often done through the environmental policy groups of trade associations such as Digital Europe and the Information Technology Industry Council.
We work with governments to promote the role of ICT in sustainability and to implement low-carbon solutions through public-private partnerships (see Low-Carbon Solutions).
Advocating action at Copenhagen
Cisco was the exclusive technology sponsor for the United Nations Climate Conference (COP15) in December 2009. Our Cisco TelePresence technology enabled wider participation in the conference through over 250 hours of virtual meetings, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions from travel (see video).
We signed the Copenhagen Communiqué in September 2009 to publicize our support for an international climate change agreement and Laura Ipsen, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cisco SmartGrid business unit, spoke at the summit in support of a binding agreement. We were disappointed by the failure to reach a globally binding agreement at Copenhagen.
Promoting individual action and innovation
We encourage our employees to reduce their environmental impacts at work and at home (see Embedding a Green Culture at Cisco).
In Canada, South Korea, and the United States, Cisco sponsors One Million Acts of Green, an online campaign and forum for schools, cities, businesses and individuals to make pledges to improve their environmental practices. Since it was launched in 2008, 2.5 million pledges have been made, avoiding an estimated 272,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Cisco is the Presenting Sponsor of the X Prize Foundation's Energy and Environment Prize Group, which aims to generate breakthroughs in climate change and energy efficiency and use. The current competition asks participants to design a vehicle that exceeds 100 miles per gallon energy equivalent efficiency.