Ever surprise 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 Workforce Community Inclusive Neighborhood, one in every of Cisco’s worker useful resource teams (ERGs), devoted to connecting Cisco workers for social and environmental actions. Be a part of us as we discover her journey, the significant collaboration with World Extensive Fund For Nature Australia (WWF-Australia) since 2022, and the particular initiative at Cisco Dwell APJC 2023!
May 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 group portal and Cisco’s 2nd most visited digital property.
On prime of today job, I’m additionally the APJC Lead of the International Inexperienced Workforce Inclusive Neighborhood and a part of the core staff of Australia and New Zealand Sustainable Setting Community (ANZ Inexperienced Workforce).
Therefore, I see the good alternative to attempt to incorporate sustainability into the Inexperienced Workforce’s initiatives and additional have interaction our members to drive extra social and group impacts collectively.
May you inform me a bit bit concerning the ANZ Inexperienced Workforce?
The ANZ chapter of the Cisco Inexperienced Workforce is made up of workers from throughout Cisco’s enterprise items who create, encourage and drive sustainability motion throughout Australia and New Zealand. We’re targeted on:
- Constructing extra sustainable partnerships: Partaking and creating strategic collaboration with widespread objective 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 way of partaking communications, giving again alternatives and occasions.
Inform us a bit concerning the collaboration between ANZ Inexperienced Workforce 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 have been drawn to WWF’s world mission to cease the degradation of the planet’s pure atmosphere and to construct a future wherein people stay in concord with nature. WWF-Australia is now the nation’s largest conservation organisation with initiatives 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, business, and innovators. So we need to help them to assist drive optimistic change by way of resilient ecosystems.
The ANZ Inexperienced Workforce 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 world wide!).
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 undertaking; this is a crucial undertaking as a result of Australia is the one developed nation on the checklist of 24 world deforestation fronts.
After which, it was a significant milestone for us to have them onsite at Cisco Dwell APJC in 2023 because the official Charity Associate of the occasion. WWF-Australia and Inexperienced Workforce 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 have 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 group impression initiative finally yr’s Cisco Dwell APJC?
The ANZ Inexperienced Workforce partnered with Cisco Neighborhood to activate our annual giveback initiative and produce it to life onsite. As a substitute of manufacturing a whole lot of occasion giveaways, we wished one thing distinctive and extra sustainable, so the price range was diverted to help an amazing trigger by way of the ‘Neighborhood Serving to Neighborhood’ marketing campaign on the occasion. This was to boost consciousness of local weather change and promote collective effort to assist enhance the world collectively.
The staff additionally directed foot site 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 be taught 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 way of work, at house, or when organizing an occasion (large or small).
Additionally don’t neglect to leverage, discover the chance, and get inventive to drive greater impression by collaborating with different groups. I need to specific my heartfelt gratitude to everybody who’ve supported me by way of this journey.
There may be a lot info on the market each internally and externally about sustainability. Typically it’s arduous to know the place to begin, however that’s okay as a result of the Inexperienced Workforce Community may also help you begin or proceed your sustainability journey. Whether or not that’s trying 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 International Inexperienced Workforce Community Inclusive Neighborhood encourages everybody to affix a neighborhood staff and begin getting concerned. We might love to include new concepts, ideas, and actions to drive our environmental impression and efforts. If you happen to’re a Cisco worker, please be a part of us!
Lastly, you may as well keep up to date on Cisco’s sustainability objectives and packages for patrons and companions and don’t neglect to cease by the Cisco Neighborhood kiosk and Sustainability Zones once you attend Cisco Dwell occasions just like the one in Melbourne, Australia from November 11-14!
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