Earth Day was based within the United States on April 22, 1970, to mark the emergence of the fashionable environmental motion, and it impressed greater than 20 million Americans to take motion. By 2020, Earth Day had grown to grow to be a world motion, with greater than 1 billion worldwide taking part in Earth Day actions.
More than fifty years later, the world is extra linked than ever earlier than, however we’re affected by new types of disconnection: from one another, from our well being, and from the well being of the planet.
As the Executive Director of the Cisco Foundation, I’m proud to steer a workforce that’s centered on enabling our social and environmental methods to thrive. We companion with organizations to create and scale revolutionary digital options that promote a wholesome planet and advance the well-being and self-reliance of underserved communities globally.
This social funding technique is carefully aligned with Cisco’s company environmental sustainability technique, the “Plan for Possible,” which incorporates three primary strategic priorities: clear power transitions, round transformation, and investing in resilient ecosystems. Cisco and the Cisco Foundation take a holistic method to addressing environmental and social points as a result of these points are carefully intertwined. Communities that may adapt to a altering local weather have the best abilities, infrastructure and financial basis to construct resilient communities that may higher stand up to the results of local weather change.
Please proceed to learn to study extra about these connections and the way we’re investing in expertise right now to make a more healthy tomorrow for our folks, communities, and the planet.
Clean power transitions
Clean power transitions means accelerating clear and renewable power adoption and world web zero ambitions.
Jaza Energy is revolutionizing clear power entry in Tanzania and Nigeria with its photo voltaic hubs. By leveraging digital instruments and superior batteries, Jaza addresses the power deficit impacting 600 million folks in sub-Saharan Africa, the place annual fossil gas expenditure reaches $27 billion.
In Tanzania, 66% of households nonetheless use kerosene for power wants. Jaza hubs supply a sustainable different to these reliant on kerosene and turbines, illuminating over 11,500 properties and benefiting 90,000 folks.
Jaza’s mannequin offers alternatives to construct livelihoods as properly. They make use of over 250 native ladies as “Jaza Stars,” workers chargeable for gross sales and group growth – additional amplifying their affect. One Jaza Star stated, “After working with Jaza, I participate in decision-making in my family,” highlighting the financial empowerment introduced by these roles.
Jaza Energy exemplifies our dedication to revolutionary, sustainable options, aligning with the Cisco Foundation’s imaginative and prescient of sustainable group growth and Cisco’s purpose to speed up clear power adoption.
Circular transformation
Circular transformation means designing waste out of our enterprise, and transitioning from an economic system that extracts sources and finally wastes them, to a round one which finds new makes use of for merchandise and their supplies.
Green Wolf Costa Rica (GWCR) developed from a motion of younger environmentalists and expertise professionals to help the social challenges that impacted the local people attributable to environmental actions from surrounding and developed cities. Since 2019, GWCR has eliminated over 70 tons of seashore waste and planted a whole lot of bushes in collaboration with group and company volunteers.
GWCR presents local weather training and activation efforts involving a technical method to handle the socio-economic inequality that places the underserved group of Gaucalillo at higher threat to environmental risks and social challenges. Gaucalillo is a coastal group situated in one of many poorest areas of the nation. Its geographical location, near the mouth of the Rio Grande de Tarcoles, brings with it a major drawback of stable waste arriving on its shores.
In 2023 alone, Green Wolf mobilized over 20,000 volunteer hours throughout all of their initiatives, together with 120 hours from Cisco Meraki volunteers in Guacalillo. With grant help and matching reward donations from Cisco and the Cisco Foundation, GWCR 1) develops sustainable souvenirs from wooden and plastics recovered from the shoreline, 2) explores options for plastic reuse, resembling utilizing it for filling in objects resembling hacky sacks, 3) collaborates with teachers, expert professionals, and native organizations to coach and lift consciousness of waste affect amongst guests and volunteers and 4) creates financial alternatives for residents of the group.
Investing in resilient ecosystems
Investing in resilient ecosystems means serving to people and nature navigate a altering local weather. Our worth chains profit from resilient ecosystems, each monetary and ecological.
Human-I-T is on the forefront of making resilient ecosystems by bridging the digital divide and combating e-waste. Through revolutionary options and a dedication to digital fairness, Human-I-T has made important strides in connecting college students and their households with the expertise they should thrive in an more and more digital world.
In latest years, Human-I-T has achieved outstanding development in its mission to supply equitable entry to alternative for communities on the mistaken facet of the digital divide – all whereas supporting a round economic system mannequin. By refurbishing and redistributing tens of hundreds of digital units, together with laptops and computer systems for college kids, Human-I-T has empowered younger learners with the instruments they should succeed academically and unlock their full potential.
Human-I-T’s dedication to academic digital fairness extends past machine distribution. By offering college students and their households with entry to web connectivity, digital abilities coaching, and technical help, Human-I-T ensures that recipients are geared up not simply with units however with the data and sources to navigate the digital world successfully.
In 2023 alone, Human-I-T distributed 60,000 units to communities throughout the United States, educated 5,000 folks with digital literacy abilities, and diverted 3.4 million kilos of e-waste from landfills.
As Human-I-T continues to collaborate with companies, organizations, and authorities entities to divert expertise from landfills and ship complete digital inclusion applications, it exemplifies the ability of investing in regenerative options and applied sciences to create a extra sustainable and equitable future, guaranteeing that college students have the instruments they should thrive out and in of the classroom.
Learn how Cisco and the Cisco Foundation help social and environmental affect:
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