The hybrid work model is holding onto its fifteen minutes of pandemic-induced fame, and may or may not be the next unexpected tool for mitigating the climate crisis. At the very least, it’s one piece of Cisco’s strategy to reach net-zero emissions across all three scopes of emissions by 2040.

A recent study exploring the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions showed an 8.8% decline in global CO2 emissions in the first six months of 2020 compared to the first six months of 2019. This represents a significant decline caused by the pandemic’s impact on human activity, including air travel, holiday celebrations, and daily commutes. Many companies, including Cisco, are pursuing hybrid work models post-pandemic to bolster sustainability and inclusivity. 

Mary de Wysocki, director of corporate affairs at Cisco, told SDxcentral that there are more environmental benefits embedded in a well-planned hybrid work model than what meets the eye.

Cisco expects up to a 30% decrease in employee commuting compared to pre-pandemic numbers. This shift will allow the company to reduce its physical office space and lower its scope two emissions.

“We think [hybrid work] is going to be a net positive,” de Wysocki said.

Hybrid or remote work environments also provide the opportunity for a more inclusive workforce, de Wysocki added. “There are so many folks [who] can't afford to live in certain high-tech communities. And now you can get talent from around the world,” she said.

Cisco's history of setting and meeting five-year emission targets makes de Wysocki believe the company is well-prepared to tackle its latest: reaching net-zero across all three scopes of emissions before 2040.

Alongside embracing hybrid work and incorporating circular design principles, Cisco plans to continue its renewable energy efforts. The company relies on 100% renewable energy in the United States and plans to expand renewable energy in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Ireland “as quickly as possible,” de Wysocki said. 

Cisco’s renewable energy strategy includes “a combination of onsite solar installations, green power contracts with local utilities, and power purchase agreements that add renewable energy to the local electricity grid,” Cisco’s EVP Francine Katsoudas wrote in a blog post.

Customer demand for renewable energy provides motivation to expand renewables outside of the U.S. “There's such a strong voice” in favor of sustainable alternatives, de Wysocki explained.

“As we look at the global drive toward keeping the climate below 1.5°C, I think every country, every organization, [and] ultimately all of us as individuals have to do everything we can to not only reduce emissions, [but] drive the increasing use of renewables,” she added.

Cisco is also investing in nature-based and technology-based carbon removal solutions to reach its 2040 target. In April, the Cisco Foundation committed to invest $100 million to improve citizen awareness of the climate crisis and explore carbon removal tech.

Remora, the recipient of Cisco’s Greenhouse Gas Solutions Prize, developed a carbon removal device that directly attaches to long-haul semi trucks. The device captures and stores at least 80% of the truck’s emissions. When drivers stop to refuel, they empty the captured CO2 into an offload tank before it’s sold to concrete producers and other end-users.

“What we've got to do as a world is come up with those innovative solutions that will take and remove [those] emissions. And I think that's work that we need to start now,” de Wysocki said.