Cisco to provide TelePresence systems to UN Climate Change Conference
Cisco has been selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark as the official technology partner for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, dubbed COP15, to be held in Copenhagen in December.
As part of its role, Cisco is working with the Danish government to deploy Cisco TelePresence™ systems and networking solutions that will connect the Bella Centre conference venue with cities around the globe. Through TelePresence, government representatives, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the press will, for the first time, be able to conduct important meetings and climate negotiations with stakeholders in their home countries or other locations while they are in Copenhagen, Cisco said.
This new offering is part of the Danish government’s commitment toward making COP15 as environmentally friendly and collaborative as possible. Cisco TelePresence will also be used to enable virtual in-person collaboration between the United Nations and Danish hosts prior to the conference.
“There is a lot at stake for our planet at COP15. As the host country, Denmark is well aware of its responsibility,” said Svend Olling, head of department, Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It is our ambition to find innovative ways for all parties to the convention as well as civil society representatives to cooperate efficiently and in a sustainable way in order to reach an ambitious deal at COP15 in Copenhagen. To this end, we are thrilled to have Cisco as our official technology partner.”
Participants in the COP15 meetings in Denmark will use CTS to communicate face to face with colleagues and stakeholders in their home nations.
“Technology has a critical role to play in helping to address the world’s environmental challenges. Enabling technologies such as video, virtualization and unified communications help to reduce the amount of energy we consume and our need to travel, enabling us to live a more efficient and sustainable lifestyle,” said Laura Ipsen, Cisco senior vice president of Global Policy and Government Affairs and co-chair of Cisco’s EcoBoard. “Cisco TelePresence and networking solutions will allow participants of COP15 to effectively collaborate with experts in their home countries, enabling them to share all the information needed to reach an agreement with minimal impact on the environment.”
Internally, Cisco has deployed 482 TelePresence units in more than 160 locations, which has allowed it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from business travel by almost 123,000 metric tons.
Category: Climate change, Conferencing, Green corporations
