Network and digital integrator Orange (News - Alert) Business and technology giant Cisco are not new to joint sustainability initiatives. The two companies have collaborated in the past on green projects, including a smart office solution that better manages conference rooms, enhances user experience and proactively optimizes energy consumption. They also partnered for an energy saving initiative at the Orange Velodrome in Marseille, France, developing a solution that converted always-on Wi-Fi networks to on-demand systems. In addition, Orange Business is using the Flexible SD-WAN "One Box" based on Cisco (News - Alert) technology, merging several routing features into one single unit, decreasing the environmental impact, and reducing the energy consumption by more than 70%.
And, most recently, the two companies announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a joint action plan to help reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The MoU deepens an existing sustainability partnership between the two companies and will involve facilitating the sharing of data that will inform progress towards both organization’s net zero goals. They agree to create an emissions baseline regarding the GHG emissions of Orange Business solutions that integrate Cisco products, allowing both organizations to measure GHG emissions across their shared portfolio.
Both Orange Business and Cisco have ambitious net zero goals and other near-term targets related to reducing emissions and evolving their businesses to a circular model. Orange has set a goal to reduce its GHG emissions by 45% across all scopes by 2030, committing to reaching net zero by 2040. Cisco has set a goal to reach net-zero GHG emissions across its value chain by 2040 and has also set a goal to reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, and use of sold Cisco products by 30% by 2030.
"Sustainability is woven into everything we do at Cisco, from our product development to our operations to our partnerships," said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco. "We have an aggressive timeline to reach net zero and our partnership with Orange Business is a major step in that direction. By sharing data and best practices, we are going to hold ourselves accountable to our shared goals and mission, and hopefully inspire others to join us in this journey."
Edited by
Alex Passett
