Cisco Expands Sustainability Tools, Guides to Help Partners Build Sustainability Practices

Cisco Systems introduced various sustainability tools and guides at Cisco Partner Summit 2023. The goal: Help partners to build sustainability practices. Those practices, in turn, can assist customers with their net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions journeys.

Among the key updates: A Cisco Sustainability Estimator tool, set to launch on November 20, 2023, will "provide partners insight into the estimated energy savings, emissions reduction, cost reduction and environmental impact that a customer may realize by modernizing their IT hardware."

In addition to the software tool, the company introduced the Cisco Sustainability Partner Journey -- which offers various resources and collateral to help partners build their sustainability practices, as outlined in the graphic below:

The new developments surfaced at Cisco Partner Summit 2023 in Miami, Florida. The overall goal is to help partners sell, support and manage solutions that involve sustainable data centers, energy management, renewable energy-related solutions, smart buildings and the "Internet of the Future," according to a presentation viewed by Sustainable Tech Partner.

Cisco's six-step plan for sustainability partners is outlined in the graphic below:

True believes in the strategy include Logicalis, the major IT services provider. Logicalis CEO Bob Bailkoski is expected to address the company's sustainability efforts during the partner summit.

Cisco Global Partner Team Sharpens Sustainability Focus

Cisco has also tapped various channel and partner talent to focus on the sustainability programs. For instance, Katherine Hannah is Cisco's global sustainability lead for the company's global partner and route to market sales efforts. Hannah, a 10-year company veteran, shifted to the partner-centric sustainability role in March 2023, according to her LinkedIn bio.

Other key names to know include:

• Andrew Sage, executive sponsor for sustainability within Cisco's global partner organization.
• Denise Lee is VP for Cisco's Engineering Sustainability Office.

Sage and Lee are set to further describe Cisco's sustainability partner efforts at the conference.

Cisco's Own Net-Zero Strategy

Within Cisco's own business, Senior VP and Chief Sustainability Officer Mary de Wysocki oversees the company's planned march to net-zero carbon emissions.

Among the target milestones to note, Cisco's goals include:

• Net zero across its value chain (i.e., Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions) by 2040.
• 100% of new Cisco products and packaging will incorporate circular design principles by 2025.
• 70% of Cisco component and manufacturing suppliers by spend will achieve a zero-waste diversion rate at one or more sites by 2025.

In a prepared statement describing the overall sustainability effort, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said: "Delivering on important environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals is not just critical for society -- but also for our business.”