By Stacey Faucett

The following is an excerpt from the 2021 Cisco Purpose Report, published on December 13, 2021. 

Our external manufacturing partners and suppliers are an important extension of our operations. How our products are made matters. Powering a more just and inclusive future begins with protecting the human rights and wellbeing of the workers in our supply chain — and respecting the communities and ecosystems in which our suppliers are located.

The breadth and complexity of Cisco’s supply chain means that there are many ways we can make a positive impact. By setting a baseline and conducting due diligence, we protect workers and the environment from negative impacts of our operations. We work to enable positive impacts through targeted initiatives designed to support rightsholders, communities, and local ecosystems where we operate so that they can thrive.

Here are five ways Cisco’s supply chain catalyzes positive impacts for workers and communities:

• Promoting responsible minerals sourcing: We conduct due diligence aligned with our Responsible Minerals Policy to source responsibly and collaborate with other stakeholders to support miners and improve their livelihoods.
• Upholding baseline expectations for responsible conduct: We help protect workers’ rights, health, and safety by ensuring compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct across the value chain. This includes holding our manufacturing partners, components suppliers, and key logistics partners accountable for meeting our expectations.
• Protecting the environment where our suppliers operate: We work to find and stop pollution violations within multiple tiers of our supply chain and build suppliers’ capabilities to conserve natural resources.
• Improving conditions for workers: We work with suppliers to identify opportunities to improve working conditions and to remediate impacts workers experience. We enable workers to have a voice and provide feedback on their working conditions without reprisal.
• Raising the bar: We participate in multistakeholder groups to advocate for more robust standards across the industry, encourage better worker engagement practices among manufacturers, and design solutions that influence better outcomes for rightsholders and the environment.

​To learn more about the progress we’re making to power a more inclusive future through CSR, visit our Cisco ESG Reporting Hub, where you can read our 2021 Cisco Purpose Report.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

About Cisco 
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter.

About Cisco's Purpose 
Cisco’s purpose is to Power an Inclusive Future for All. From increasing access to skills needed to thrive in a digital economy to supporting the most vulnerable in times of crisis, we’re committed to using our technology for good. Cisco is also leveraging our scale and innovation to help ensure that our increasingly digital future is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.

More from Cisco Systems, Inc.