Chemical Refrigerants
We use chemical refrigerants in air conditioning systems for our buildings. The current specification for Cisco air conditioning systems is to use hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbon (HCFC) and hydro-fluoro-carbon (HFC) refrigerants. If released to the atmosphere, HCFCs contribute to depletion of the ozone layer. This allows harmful ultraviolet radiation to enter the earth's atmosphere, which can affect human health by causing skin cancer and may also adversely affect vegetation, animals, and buildings. HFC refrigerants have no ozone-depleting impact but are considered greenhouse gases, which may contribute to global warming.
Our air conditioning systems are sealed and are designed and maintained to avoid leaks. However, we recognize that under abnormal conditions, leaks may periodically occur. We have a leak monitoring program in place as part of planned preventative maintenance.
The quantity of refrigerant required to refill our air conditioning systems during 2004 at San Jose is expressed in the following table:
Employee Travel
Employee commuting and business travel contribute to emissions to the atmosphere including carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a greenhouse gas, sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to acid rain, and particulates which adversely affect local air quality. Most road transport also contributes to the depletion of finite fuels.
We record annual mileage and emissions data of our European car fleet. We do not collect mileage and emissions data in the United States because employees use private cars for business travel.
Cisco European Car Fleet Data FY2005
These data indicate that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our business road travel are significantly lower than those arising from our energy use, and we will continue to prioritize our efforts to increase energy efficiency in order to maximize the positive impact of our programs, while also promoting initiatives to reduce travel-related impacts.
Cisco offices are equipped with telephone and videoconferencing facilities. Employees are strongly encouraged to use these where possible instead of traveling to meetings.
We have a dedicated team that manages and deploys electronic collaboration software tools to enhance mobility of employees and the productivity of virtual teams and meetings. In FY2005, a few of the most recent offerings to Cisco employees include:
- Cisco video IP phones, which allows for face-to-face phone conversation by video
- Cisco Unity Unified Messaging, which enables remote access of combined employee voicemail and e-mail
- A pilot of Cisco IP Communicator, which enables employees to use their office IP phone through their PC laptop and also enhances our reservation-less audioconferencing system
- Sametime instant messaging services that allow for chat as well as virtual access to and sharing of PCs
We encourage employees to use mass transit and shared transport options when commuting to and from work. We support employees' efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of their commutes through environmentally friendly commuting initiatives, including:
- Commuter Checks, provided to employees to subsidize monthly transit passes in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Eco-Pass, which provides access to free travel to Cisco commuters on specific mass transit journeys
- The Emergency Ride Home program, which ensures those Cisco employees who use public transportation to get to work at least two days a week have a way home in case the mass transit system fails or is unavailable for an employee working late
- A shuttle service in the United States and Europe linking our sites to local public transport stations
- Subsidized travel passes and promotion of car and vanpools
- The SmartCart program (available at the San Jose campus), which provides an intercampus shuttle service, with one hybrid electric vehicle in the eight-vehicle fleet
Cisco also encourages employees to work flexible hours to help reduce the environmental impact during traditional "rush hours," and provides broadband Internet service to many employees so that they can work from home.
In September 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranked Cisco third among Fortune 500 companies as one of the best workplaces for commuters.
Water Use
Compared to similar enterprises, water use at Cisco is relatively low. The main uses are irrigation of grounds, in our cafés, and in our restrooms. Our San Jose headquarters is a water-stressed region of California, and we are committed to reducing the pressure on the regional water resource. Cisco's facilities are designed to minimize water consumption by using recycled water and installing water-saving devices in restrooms.
