Ever marvel how one can champion a trigger you imagine in at work? I sat down with a frontrunner within the Asia, Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC) area to study how she harnessed her roles inside Cisco—each within the Cisco Buyer Expertise staff and as a core staff volunteer with the Cisco Inexperienced Staff Community Inclusive Neighborhood, certainly one of Cisco’s worker useful resource teams (ERGs), devoted to connecting Cisco workers for social and environmental actions. Be part of us as we discover her journey, the significant collaboration with World Huge Fund For Nature Australia (WWF-Australia) since 2022, and the particular initiative at Cisco Stay APJC 2023!
Might you begin by introducing your self?
My title is Vivien Chia and I’m at present the Digital Advertising Supervisor inside the Digital Buyer Expertise (DCX) staff, liable for the social media administration of Cisco Neighborhood—Cisco’s peer-to-peer on-line neighborhood portal and Cisco’s 2nd most visited digital property.
On high of this present day job, I’m additionally the APJC Lead of the World Inexperienced Staff Inclusive Neighborhood and a part of the core staff of Australia and New Zealand Sustainable Setting Community (ANZ Inexperienced Staff).
Therefore, I see the nice alternative to attempt to incorporate sustainability into the Inexperienced Staff’s initiatives and additional interact our members to drive extra social and neighborhood impacts collectively.
Might you inform me slightly bit concerning the ANZ Inexperienced Staff?
The ANZ chapter of the Cisco Inexperienced Staff is made up of workers from throughout Cisco’s enterprise models who create, encourage and drive sustainability motion throughout Australia and New Zealand. We’re centered on:
- Constructing extra sustainable partnerships: Partaking and growing strategic collaboration with frequent function and alternatives.
- Giving again and volunteering: Inspiring motion, constructing resiliency and empowering us all to beat local weather disruptions and protect sources inside communities.
- Educating and constructing consciousness: Activating by partaking communications, giving again alternatives and occasions.
Inform us a bit concerning the collaboration between ANZ Inexperienced Staff and WWF-Australia.
Our office giving journey with WWF began in August 2022 after Jay Inexperienced and I connecting with Henry Clough, Office Giving and Company Engagement Supervisor at WWF-Australia.
We had been drawn to WWF’s international mission to cease the degradation of the planet’s pure atmosphere and to construct a future by which people stay in concord with nature. WWF-Australia is now the nation’s largest conservation organisation with tasks and partnerships in each state and territory throughout the nation since its institution in 1978. They work collaboratively with communities, governments, Conventional House owners, non-government organisations (NGOs), scientists, trade, and innovators. So we wish to assist them to assist drive optimistic change by resilient ecosystems.
The ANZ Inexperienced Staff nominated WWF-Australia for the Cisco Matching Presents program, and have established an ongoing collaboration to highlight their necessary work in defending wildlife and regenerating nature, together with Earth Hour 2023 and 2024 (take a look at the Earth Hour 2024 | Postcards from all over the world!).
In July 2023, we additionally efficiently nominated them for a Cisco Basis Regional Answer Grant (AUD$150,000) to assist fund their Australian Native Vegetation Mapping System mission; this is a crucial mission as a result of Australia is the one developed nation on the checklist of 24 international deforestation fronts.
After which, it was a serious milestone for us to have them onsite at Cisco Stay APJC in 2023 because the official Charity Accomplice of the occasion. WWF-Australia and Inexperienced Staff engaged with the guests on the Sustainability Zone (led by Sarah Simpson), the place we helped undertake 100 koalas (AUD$18,000 donation worth)!
All groups had been thrilled with the success and sit up for extra collaborations with WWF-Australia and different NGOs to assist make a distinction.
How did you additional prolong the giveback and neighborhood affect initiative ultimately yr’s Cisco Stay APJC?
The ANZ Inexperienced Staff partnered with Cisco Neighborhood to activate our annual giveback initiative and produce it to life onsite. As an alternative of manufacturing lots of of occasion giveaways, we wished one thing distinctive and extra sustainable, so the price range was diverted to assist an awesome trigger by the ‘Neighborhood Serving to Neighborhood’ marketing campaign on the occasion. This was to lift consciousness of local weather change and promote collective effort to assist enhance the world collectively.
The staff additionally directed foot visitors to the WWF-Australia sales space to undertake their very own koala. The symbolic motion to ‘undertake’ these iconic but threatened Australian species will assist save them from extinction. You possibly can study extra right here: Undertake a koala.
What are another methods Cisco workers are getting concerned?
It’s necessary for workers to rethink their carbon footprint, whether or not it’s by work, at residence, or when organizing an occasion (large or small).
Additionally don’t overlook to leverage, discover the chance, and get inventive to drive greater affect by collaborating with different groups. I wish to specific my heartfelt gratitude to everybody who’ve supported me by this journey.
There’s a lot data on the market each internally and externally about sustainability. Generally it’s exhausting to know the place to start out, however that’s okay as a result of the Inexperienced Staff Community might help you begin or proceed your sustainability journey. Whether or not that’s seeking to get entangled in fundraising or attending inner training classes we encourage workers to be curious, and their information about sustainability will develop from there.
For Cisco workers, the World Inexperienced Staff Community Inclusive Neighborhood encourages everybody to hitch a neighborhood staff and begin getting concerned. We’d love to include new concepts, recommendations, and actions to drive our environmental affect and efforts. If you happen to’re a Cisco worker, please be a part of us!
Lastly, it’s also possible to keep up to date on Cisco’s sustainability objectives and packages for purchasers and companions and don’t overlook to cease by the Cisco Neighborhood kiosk and Sustainability Zones if you attend Cisco Stay occasions just like the one in Melbourne, Australia from November 11-14!
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