Cisco

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the internet and is one of the world’s biggest technology corporations. The company’s name derives from the name San Francisco, where the company was founded. 

Now headquartered in San Jose, California, Cisco’s stated aim is to change the way people work, live, play and learn. Cisco develops and sells wireless networking, video conferencing, network storage, and security solutions for its customers.

Cisco Internet Protocol (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of the networks which have become an essential part of business, education, government and home communications. Its hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create internet solutions that allow individuals, companies, and countries to increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction and strengthen competitive advantage. 

The company’s approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) aligns responsible business practices and social investments to create long-term value for its business. Its environmental vision and strategy is managed by the Cisco EcoBoard, which was established in 2006 by CEO John Chambers and reports to Cisco’s Operating Committee. 

The EcoBoard includes 14 senior executives who represent key global business functions. CSR strategies are typically implemented through a six-step process: planning and prioritization, implementation, measurement of performance, reporting, stakeholder engagement and analysis, and stakeholder feedback to the business.

Cisco works with governments to promote the role of ICT in sustainability and to implement low carbon solutions through public-private partnerships. Its CEO John Chambers is a World Economic Forum (WEF) Climate Change Ambassador.

The company is a signatory of the Copenhagen Communiqué (2009), and is a member of several environmental alliances such as the Global eSustainability Initiative (GeSI) and the WEF Task Force on Low-Carbon Economic Prosperity, which highlights the role of ICT in mitigating climate change. 

Network technologies are central to Cisco’s strategy for addressing the environmental impacts of their operations and their customers' operations.

Cisco’s approach to minimizing its carbon emissions spans three categories of activity. First, network-enabled solutions focus the resources of the company on addressing climate change. Cisco innovates, develops, and deploys ICT solutions that displace emissions-intensive activities and reduce energy demands in critical areas of global society such as transportation, buildings, and power generation.

Second, Cisco works to improve the energy efficiency and climate-related impacts associated with product use. And third, the company applies its technologies to its own operations, reducing energy use and business travel, and improving energy efficiency in their facilities. Cisco also purchases energy from renewable resources.

The company has reduced its carbon emissions worldwide by 12% since 2007, and is continuing to do so.

Promoting smart ICT

As a member of the Global eSustainability Initiative, Cisco made a major contribution to the SMART2020 report, which estimated that information and communications technologies could cut 'business as usual' greenhouse gas emissions by 15% globally. With a number of other companies, including members of The Climate Group, BT and HP, Cisco co-authored a follow-up entitled Evaluating the Carbon Reducing Impacts of ICT.

Use of smart ICT to provide instantaneous information exchange was shown to have a beneficial effect on economic, social and environmental sustainability through its use in offices, domestic settings, education, health, shopping, government and transport.

Both hardware and software for the management of smart power grids are among Cisco’s product and service offerings. These help speed the transition to renewable, sustainable, and smart energy with intelligent, personalized services that address smart grid requirements for increased control and reliability, greater efficiency, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Cisco has worked with fellow The Climate Group member Duke Energy to pilot and develop a home energy management system for smart grid use.

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