Cisco Is Conquering the Climate and Recycling Goals It Has Set. How?

Cisco Systems develops, manufactures, and sells networking and telecommunications equipment — hardware and software. It is best known for creating the software to allow companies to store their information in the cloud — the Internet of Things, which gives critical employees visibility into the entire operations. It is also well-known for domain security, artificial intelligence, videoconferencing, and energy management, generating $49 billion in revenues last year with 80,000 employees. 

“Our technology can also be used to help the world prepare for the consequences of a changing world and a changing climate — such as to monitor grid reliability, enable grid decarbonization, monitor transportation and water systems, and support the workplace of the future,” Cisco says. “Now we are helping them adapt to a low-carbon circular economy as well.” 

Cisco’s quest to be environmentally sustainable started in earnest in 2008. Now it is committed to reaching net zero across all emissions — internal and external — by 2040, including our product use, operations, and supply chain. Cisco’s net-zero goal will be supported by ambitious near-term targets, including reaching net zero for all global Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2025.

The strategies it will use to hit net zero by 2040 include: 

• Continuing to increase the energy efficiency of our products through innovative product design;
• Accelerating the use of renewable energy;
• Embracing hybrid work;
• Investing in carbon removal solutions, and
• Further embedding sustainability and circular economy principles across our business. 

Are you hitting your climate goals? 

• Cisco’s current goal is to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 60% in 2022, compared to 2007. 
• Cisco has achieved 100% renewable energy in several countries around the world and is on track to reach its goal to use electricity generated from renewable sources for at least 85% of Cisco’s global electricity this year. 
• Cisco avoided 1 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalents in its supply chain through a range of actions — such as utilizing more ocean shipments, redesigning product packaging, and implementing energy management partnerships. It then set a new goal to reduce supply chain-related greenhouse gas emissions by 30% before 2030, using 2019 as a baseline. (Those are called Scope 3 emissions.) 
• Cisco is committed to “designing and managing its products and packaging for reuse, repair and resource efficiency.” It is on track to create products and packaging that comply with Circular Design Principles by 2025.

“Cisco had also been promoting Green IT in its business by launching various initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint from their data centers to offices and cafeterias,” writes icmrindia.org. “The same initiatives were being used to help Cisco customers … The energy-efficient cloud solutions of Cisco helped businesses to reduce their IT energy needs.”

What are some of your energy management tools?

Cisco’s intelligent building solutions reduce energy consumption — a technology it uses for itself and its customers. The technology uses low-voltage power over the ethernet to provide network-based monitoring and control of temperature, air quality, and lighting. It points to  ASHRAE, which creates building standards. It has a new building that uses those tools to optimize its HVAC programs based on occupancy. It combines with its onsite solar PV system, enabling the facility to consume less energy than it generates. 

The company also makes the technologies to improve grid operations, allowing the wires to run more efficiently. That is, its tools can make room for green electrons. They can also redirect traffic on the grid if there is congestion. Enel, an Italian utility, uses these tools to address any faults or failures that threaten the electric network. It also helps the utility deploy more wind and solar energy. 

And the circular economy?

Cisco works with customers, cities, and other organizations to expedite the move to the circular economy — the reuse and recycling of materials to prevent them from going to the landfill. Intesa Sanpaolo, a major European bank, is one such customer. It has financed more than 200 circular economy projects. “Intesa Sanpaolo and Cisco began working in partnership to provide wrap-around support, from financing to technology, for companies going into a circular transition.”

Cisco also partnered with  99Bridges to create a reusable bag system; it eliminates single-use plastic bags. The two developed a platform to remind and reward customers not to discard their plastic bags. The software they call Mosaic provides retailers the tools to track these plastic bags. 99Bridges is working with top retailers like Walmart, Target, and CVS. 

Tell us about your water stewardship?

Cisco’s primary use of fresh water is in its operations — the ones used for restrooms and onsite restaurants. It also uses water for its cooling towers and irrigation. It uses recycled water to water its landscape. It says that its headquarters in San Jose are no longer water-stressed. “This is because, in 2019, the WRI Aqueduct Tool updated its baseline water stress for the California Coyote River Basin, in which our headquarters are located, from Extremely High (>80%) to Low (<10%).”

The company’s water strategy is to benchmark and report water use and risks based on best practices. It also conserves water — especially in water-scarce areas such as India. To that end, Cisco uses a water management system in Bangalore, India, which has a zero-discharge facility. That means no wastewater is discharged into the environment. The wastewater is sent to two sewage treatment plants using filtration and “reverse osmosis,” enabling reuse of the water. 

Much of the focus going forward will be on the nexus between energy and water. It points out that the US Geological Survey estimates that it takes 15 gallons of water to generate 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity in this country. “We estimate our fiscal 2021 energy reduction projects, which avoided 6.6 GWh of energy usage, also avoided 374 cubic meters (m³) of water—roughly 13 percent of our total fiscal 2021 water use.”