CiscoA company specializing in networks and security worldwide reveals five trends that companies and administrations will adopt to improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, strengthen the resilience of supply chains and manage long-term risks.
• Sustainability as a strategic discipline: Organizations are integrating energy efficiency, safety, operational resilience, and circularity into their daily operations and long-term planning. Global reporting standards and practices are being harmonized, facilitating transparency and comparability with frameworks such as the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). According to the OECD, 91% of large companies already disclose sustainability-related information.
• Circularity from design: circularity goes beyond traditional recycling, incorporating itself from the beginning in the design and manufacturing process to reduce waste and extend the useful life of products.
• Innovation at scale in energy systems: the modernization of infrastructure and the adoption of solutions such as microgrids and smart buildings are accelerating the transition to safer and more efficient energy systems.
· AI redefines the energy equation: AI-optimized servers, which currently account for around 21% of data center electricity consumption, could account for 44% by 2030, imposing new demands.
• Preparing for the quantum era: 2026 marks the beginning of preparations for quantum technologies, with organizations planning for secure networks and next-generation cryptography. Cisco is collaborating with leaders like IBM to develop fault-tolerant quantum systems, reflecting the first steps toward this future as organizations focus on long-term security, resilience, and trust.
As Mary de Wysocki, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at Cisco, “We reaffirm our commitment to sustainability by supporting organizations in reducing environmental impact, strengthening resilience and designing safe and adaptable systems to meet the challenges of the future, whose progress will depend on closer collaboration between industries, governments and communities and on technologies designed for longevity, adaptability and safety.”
