Cisco Global Climate Change Meeting Platform to Facilitate Discussions at U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

The GCCMP, which includes Cisco TelePresence and audio and Web conferencing services, is designed to help COP15 delegates and stakeholder groups around the world conduct discussions on the issue of climate change without the time, monetary and carbon costs associated with travel. Initially, the GCCMP will connect Copenhagen's Bella Center conference venue with a number of government, U.N. and Cisco locations around the world over a private Internet Protocol (IP) network. The GCCMP will enable climate negotiators and support teams to conduct meetings and negotiations with peers, experts, stakeholders and media irrespective of their location before, during and after COP15.

Earlier this year, Cisco was chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark as the official technology partner of COP15, which takes place in the Danish capital between Dec. 7 and 18. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is an annual gathering of the members of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change to assess progress in dealing with the issue of climate change. The objective of COP15 is to set a global agreement among all of the countries of the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities.

Facts/Highlights:

• Cisco's Global Climate Change Meeting Platform will enable live video, audio and Web conferencing facilities to the 12,000-15,000 delegates from more than 192 countries, plus some 3,000-4,000 media representatives from around the world, at COP15.
• The COP15 main conference facility, the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, will feature four Cisco TelePresence rooms, specially designed to make local and remote meeting participants feel as if they are in the same room. The rooms will be connected to 77 Cisco TelePresence rooms, the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy, and select Danish embassies around the world at no cost to COP15 participants. In addition, the Danish government is arranging access to the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, UNEP in Nairobi, the United Nations' Palais des Nations, UNICC in Geneva and U.N. Headquarters in New York City.
• Cisco's partnership with Denmark lasts until the end of 2010.
• Cisco is committed to a high level of environmental responsibility in its business operations, culture, products and customer solutions. Cisco's vision is for the power of technology to transform how the world manages its environmental and energy challenges. Internally, Cisco has deployed 650 TelePresence units in more than 200 cities across 45 countries, which has allowed it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from business travel by an estimated 181,319 metric tons.

Supporting Quotes:
Svend Olling, head of department, Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
"The deployment is part of the Danish government's commitment towards making COP15 as environmentally friendly and collaborative as possible. Cisco TelePresence will give delegates attending the conference the ability to meet with colleagues, experts and advisers around the world who can provide them with the counsel and information they need when considering a potential agreement. With the Global Climate Change Meeting Platform we are able to provide delegates with access to accurate and timely advice from experts wherever they may be located in the world. We are inaugurating a meeting platform that brings inclusiveness and efficiency to the political arena."

Laura Ipsen, senior vice president of global policy and government affairs for Cisco
"Cisco believes that technology has the power to transform how the world manages its energy and environmental challenges. By deploying the Global Climate Change Meeting Platform, we are helping expand the reach of the COP15 negotiations to stakeholders all over the world by providing a virtual meeting experience where participants can overcome barriers of time, distance and culture to make progress in these important issues while minimizing their carbon impact. Cisco is hopeful that the Global Climate Change Meeting Platform will facilitate and speed the discussions over how nations around the world can work together to minimize our environmental impact."

Supporting Resources:
Cisco andCOP15: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns669/climate_change_conference.html
COP15 website: http://en.cop15.dk/frontpage
For more information about the Cisco Global Climate Change Meeting Platform at COP15 please visit: http://en.cop15.dk/about+cop15/going+to+cop15/virtual+conferencing+at+cop15
Organizations interested in being part of the Global Climate Change Meeting Platform should visit: http://www.cisco.com/go/cop15
Cisco TelePresence: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns669/networking_solutions_solution_segment_home.html

Tags / Keywords:
TelePresence, Networking, Cisco, video, collaboration, unified communications, video conferencing, communications

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About the COP15 Host -- The Danish Government
As host country, Denmark is responsible for all practical aspects of organizing COP15 in close cooperation with the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat. Within Denmark, the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for logistics and communication pertaining to COP15. For more information visit www.cop15.dk.

About COP15
COP15 is the 15th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. For more information visit www.unfccc.int.

About Cisco
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For more news, visit http://newsroom.cisco.com. Cisco equipment in Europe is supplied by Cisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, Cisco Systems and Cisco TelePresence are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document or Website are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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