Cisco Publishes 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

I am pleased to announce that Cisco has released its ninth annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. I have come to realize that creating a CSR Report is not about reaching a project deadline – rather it is just one part of an ongoing stakeholder dialogue. We write our annual CSR Report to demonstrate commitment, and to hold ourselves accountable to those commitments — even during phases that have been challenging due to macro-economic or organizational change.

The 2013 Cisco CSR Report outlines our strategy to use our expertise, technology, and partnerships for social, environmental, and business impact. We report using a framework of five core pillars.

Governance and Ethics: Our strong governance and ethics systems and commitment to ethical behavior underpin all business and CSR efforts. We have been recognized by organizations such as the Carbon Disclosure Project, Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and the Global 100 for our CSR achievements.

Supply Chain: We work closely with suppliers to maintain high standards for ethics, labor rights, health, safety, and the environment. In FY13 we reported that 77 percent of our key suppliers reported their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), up from 50 percent in FY12.

People: We help our employees develop their talents and achieve their full potential in a collaborative, inclusive, and healthy workplace. For example, in fiscal year 2013, Cisco employees and dependents earned more than $13.4 million in health incentives for participating in wellness programs.

Society: We work with other organizations to extend access to education and healthcare, respond to critical human needs and disaster relief efforts, create economic development opportunities, and help communities thrive. For example, in FY 13, Cisco and our employees responded to emergencies and natural disasters across the globe with over $2.5 million in direct aid and communications support from our Tactical Operations team.

Environment: We work to improve our customers’ and our own environmental sustainability through technology and advocacy. In FY13, customers returned 12,500 metric tonne of Cisco products for reuse and recycling, and we reused over $360 million of Cisco equipment.

The 2013 CSR Report covers our approach, our objectives, our progress, and our challenges around each of these pillars. Changes to our approach can take time, but we aim to be open and transparent.

I have led the Cisco CSR Report project for about four years and been a part of the reporting team since our first one in 2005. I appreciate the expertise that subject matter experts share with me, and I advocate for those issues to be managed, prioritized, and resourced, where relevant, inside Cisco. We seek global balance and full coverage of our most material environmental, social, and governance issues.

Please view the full report or the executive summary. Both include metrics, graphics, case studies, and videos in a reader-friendly presentation. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below or emailing the CSR Report team.