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We all know how to make positive changes for the environment in our personal lives, recycling our rubbish, reusing bags, and reducing water waste when brushing our teeth, but do we know all how we can make positive changes in our professional lives?

Sustainability and the impact of businesses was the core educational message running through 2023’s Cisco Live EMEA.

 

Back with a bang in ’Dam

After two years away, Cisco Live EMEA excited the crowds with the opportunity to reconnect, refamiliarise and reignite their passion for technology. Taking place in the city of Amsterdam, the RAI Conference Hall played host to nearly 14,000 people. With experts and enthusiasts from across the whole Cisco technology portfolio and eco-system partners, everyone’s agendas were jam-packed with talk tracks, panel discussions and certification exams. The scale of the event was back to pre-pandemic levels and saw most of us clocking up over 20,000 steps a day exploring the latest and greatest tech announcements.

 

A greener side of blue

In the central aisle of the main hub was a large circular sustainability stand. Bustling and busy, this new addition to the hub’s technology zones showcased the new tools, initiatives and programmes Cisco is implementing to support their clients to take a more sustainable approach when it comes to their technology investment. In August 2022, Cisco announced its IT Sustainability Framework that wraps around the five pillars designed to help them achieve its goal of Net Zero by 2040. Seeing this brought to life on the stand showed their commitment in action, with live demonstrations of decommissioning hardware and space-saving servers, there was no denying they were standing out with full transparency.

 

This shouldn’t be news

The topic of sustainability is not new, it has been on everyone’s agenda for a while as we see the disastrous effects of CO2 emissions and global warming all around the world. As awareness increases so does our corporate responsibility to take actions to mitigate our impact. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres and data transmission networks are responsible for nearly 1% of energy-related GHG emissions (reference). It is this type of statistic that drives Cisco, as a key manufacturer of data centre and networking technology, to make a change from the source.

 

The regulation is coming

If you aren’t driven by wanting to make a positive impact on the planet and future generations, then maybe governmental and regulatory compliance will cause a shift in your business’s approach to sustainability. In November 2022, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive announced that across EU countries it won’t be long before standardised and regulated reporting will be mandatory in the UK.

 

The power of measurement?

It was encouraging to see Cisco addressing the challenge of measurement with the development of new reporting tools. These tools utilise companies’ known Cisco asset base to calculate the environmental impact, and suggest substitutions of technology to reduce this impact measurably. Whether it is replacing UCS servers for the new energy-efficient UCS-X range or switching to Cisco Meraki network APs that have configurable functionality to power down when not in use, Cisco is utilising data to help clients make more informed decisions when it comes to their technology landscape. Armed with this type of data, companies are empowered to support impactful changes in their IT strategy.

 

So, what comes next?

As Cisco Environmental Sustainability Specialized partner, Natilik is here to work with you as your confident guide in designing, delivering and supporting a more sustainable technology strategy for your business. Looking at how we can help you align your unique sustainability goals with predicted regulation through the power of data, measurement and design. With complimentary refurbished, takeback and recycling services, Natilik can confidently guide you through a circular technology lifecycle and all its options.

Don’t let sustainability be a burden or afterthought, let it be the opportunity driving your technology strategy forward.