June 25, 2008 - Cisco says it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2012 with help from a suite of IT solutions, from videoconferencing to computerized facility management.

"Cisco is approaching [the climate] challenge not only by curbing our own company's greenhouse gas emissions but also by taking advantage of the power of networking technology to better manage our environmental concerns," Cisco chief executive John Chambers told attendees at the company's annual IT conference yesterday. "By deploying innovative information technology solutions and using the network as a platform for 21st century environmental management, we believe we can significantly alter our greenhouse gas footprint and help our customers meet their sustainability goals."

Chambers went on to outline Cisco's strategy for achieving its 25% emissions reduction target. In its labs and datacenters, the company will cut energy use through equipment upgrades, "virtual networking" for data storage, and new power-distribution units that automatically shut down idle machines. Cisco will also use network-based IT to reduce energy use in its facilities and operate its owned and leased space more efficiently, Chambers said.

Employee air travel - which accounts for 27% of Cisco's carbon footprint - is another area of focus, according to Chambers. Cisco will rely on collaboration technologies such as its TelePresence videoconferencing tool to reduce the need for business trips.

Finally, Cisco will expand its use of flexible office environments, which reduce workplace energy consumption by enabling flex-time employees to share desk space.

Cisco's announcement comes on the heels of a new report from the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and the Climate Group, which estimates that smarter technology use could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 15% and save global industry $800 billion in annual energy costs by 2020.

In December, Cisco set emissions-reduction quotas for each of its business departments in a bid to trim its carbon footprint.