Cisco FY23 Purpose Report
FY23 Purpose Report The Power of Purpose
Introduction 2 Future 33 Our Purpose and our progress in 昀椀scal 2023 Help advance a sustainable and regenerative A message from Chuck Robbins 3 future for our planet FY23 highlights 4 The Plan for Possible 34 ESG at Cisco 5 Clean energy transitions 35 Goals and progress 6 Circular transformation 41 Feature stories 8 Resilient ecosystems 44 Power 12 For All 46 Build and deliver technology responsibly to Address root causes of inequity, eliminate securely power the world’s connectivity barriers, and foster lasting, generational change Security, privacy, and trust 13 Crisis response 47 Human rights 15 Economic empowerment 51 Digital inclusion 20 Learning and digital skills 54 Ethics and integrity 22 Social justice 58 Partnering for Purpose 61 Inclusive 23 Public policy and advocacy 61 Accelerate fairness, inclusion, and equitable Looking Ahead 62 access to opportunity Diversity, equity, and inclusion 24 Our Purpose can’t just be something we look Employee experience 27 back on Health and wellbeing 29 A message from Fran Katsoudas 63 Employee community impact 31 Forward-looking statements This report contains forward-looking statements regarding future events. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the industries in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are di昀케cult to predict, including those identi昀椀ed in our most recent 昀椀lings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Cisco continuously strives for transparency in our reporting on our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, goals, and progress. We set ambitious goals knowing that they may be di昀케cult to fully achieve, but we strive to meet them within the designated time frames all the same. Acquiring other companies can potentially impact our progress towards our ESG goals. We will transparently report on our progress, including any impacts from acquisitions.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 2 Looking Ahead Cisco is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Our products and services include networking, collaboration solutions, security solutions, wireless and mobility, data center, Internet of Things (IoT), video, analytics, and software solutions. 1984 84,900 About this report This Purpose Report shares Cisco’s progress in its 昀椀scal year (FY) founded employees 2023 toward its Purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All. But it is not the full story of our progress. Our ESG Reporting Hub US$57 billion 95 contains detailed information on many of the topics covered in this report, as well as policies and additional disclosures for FY23 revenue countries specialized audiences. Throughout the report, we provide links to speci昀椀c pages in the ESG Reporting Hub where additional detail is available.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 3 Looking Ahead A message from Chuck Robbins Running a great business shouldn’t be at odds with caring for Cisco has made a di昀昀erence “ and contributing to the communities where a company operates. for more than one-eighth of the world’s population—a testament The dynamic world we live in needs businesses to do both, and su昀昀ering and for causes that change lives. We’re also proud to bring to what we can achieve when companies that successfully 昀椀nd that balance earn customer trust, our customers and partners along with us through initiatives like respect from their peers, and create a culture that attracts and Partnering for Purpose, helping to amplify our impact because we people and purpose intersect in retains the best people. know we can’t solve these issues alone. service of communities." Each year, we are proud to share this report that demonstrates Through our innovation, we’re helping customers securely connect having environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and corporate everything to make anything possible. We’re also driving sustainability social responsibility e昀昀orts woven into a business strategy is in a meaningful way with products and solutions, such as IoT, Silicon not just good for the world; it also creates important business One, and power over ethernet, that help customers reduce energy opportunities. Through our commitments and actions, Cisco also consumption. With technologies such as arti昀椀cial intelligence (AI) continues to rea昀케rm its support of the Ten Principles of the United quickly taking shape, we continue to see endless possibilities for Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in the areas of Human Rights, Labor, technology to change lives and experiences in countless ways. We Environment, and Anti-Corruption, which Cisco signed in 2001. also recognize the need to harness the power of technology ethically Through a powerful combination of our technology, our people, and and responsibly as we shape and de昀椀ne the future alongside our our purpose—to power an inclusive future for all—we have helped customers and partners. customers and communities all around the globe, and this year For nearly 40 years, Cisco’s technology has been at the heart of we’re celebrating an amazing milestone. In 2016, we set a goal to connections—helping customers run their businesses every day positively impact 1 billion people by 昀椀scal 2025, and I’m incredibly and bringing more opportunities to more people around the world. proud to share that we’ve surpassed that goal more than a year We are incredibly proud of this history—the impact we’ve made and early. Together, we have made a real, tangible di昀昀erence for more milestones we’ve achieved—but we know there is more to do to care than one-eighth of the world’s population. This is truly a testament for our planet and build a more inclusive and equitable future for to what a company can achieve when its people and purpose everyone. At Cisco, we work hard every day to prove that running a intersect in service of communities. good business and a passion to do good absolutely can and should It also speaks to the importance of a culture that fosters opportunities live in the same place—because when they do, change and progress and supports people as they go out and do good in the world. take giant steps forward toward a better world for all of us. From global con昀氀icts to natural disasters, we often see that the most marginalized communities are usually impacted the most. In 昀椀scal 2023, 85 percent of our employees took action to give back to communities and support causes close to their hearts. Our Chuck Robbins people continue to show up in times of crisis, for those who are Chair and Chief Executive O昀케cer
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 4 Looking Ahead The power of Purpose in FY23 The Plan for Possible 1.1 billion our environmental sustainability strategy to connect a people positively impacted through our social impact regenerative future grants and signature programs (FY16-FY23) Learn more about our validation methodology. 1300 #1 91% US$461M Country Digital Best Company to Work of electricity for Cisco in cash and in-kind Acceleration active or For in 16 countries, facilities came from contributions provided by completed projects in according to Fortune and renewable sources Cisco and the Cisco 50 countries since 2015 Great Place to Work Foundation, including US$387M in in-kind contributions for Cisco Networking Academy 85% US$19.8M of employees committed to fund climate participated to drive solutions through the Cisco community impact Foundation, cumulative #2 73% 20.5M+ ranked in the Gartner® increase in representation learners reached through 2023 Supply Chain Top 25: of all employees who Cisco Networking 1 self-identify as African High Tech report American/Black from entry Academy in 190 countries level through manager since 1997 (FY20 base year) 1 GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its a昀케liates in the United States and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or 昀椀tness for a particular purpose.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 5 Looking Ahead ESG at Cisco 1 Our reporting is informed by an ESG materiality assessment and * aligns with globally recognized frameworks. We also support ESG focus areas the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and share the UN’s vision for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. We have been a participating company in the Environmental Social Governance UNGC since 2001, and our ESG strategy and priorities, which are shaped by our stakeholder engagement and ESG materiality ● Corporate governance 1 ● Climate change and GHGs ● Inclusion and diversity assessment initiatives, align with and support the SDGs. Below, explore some examples: ● Circular economy ● Talent ● Data security and privacy ● Operational waste ● Human rights and working ● Business ethics ● Environmental regeneration conditions in the supply chain ● Innovation and responsible technology and protection ● Employee wellbeing ● Water ● Employee health and safety and labor rights ● Digital inclusion ● Community impact Global Reporting Sustainability Accounting ● Critical human needs and Initiative (GRI) Standards Board (SASB) disaster relief ● Economic empowerment 1 Task Force on Climate-related * T hese ESG focus areas are the topics identi昀椀ed in our 昀椀scal 2023 ESG materiality assessment. The topics found to be of greater signi昀椀cance are noted in bold. Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Visit Cisco’s ESG Reporting Hub for more information on: Our strategy Key ratings and rankings 1 Stakeholder engagement and ESG materiality Policies, positions, and guides 1 ESG materiality, as referred to in this report, and our ESG materiality assessment process are di昀昀erent from “materiality” in the context of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure obligations. Issues deemed material for purposes of our ESG reporting and for purposes of determining our ESG strategy may not be CDP (formerly Carbon United Nations Sustainable considered material for SEC reporting purposes, nor does inclusion of information in our ESG reporting indicate that the topic or information is material to Cisco’s Disclosure Project) Development Goals (SDGs) business or operating results.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 6 Looking Ahead Goals and progress We measure progress on engaging employees, reducing environmental impacts, and advancing our Purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All through quantitative enterprise goals that we report against each year. Here’s where we stand on these goals in 昀椀scal 2023. Our people Social Justice Actions By FY23: Sustain 80% community impact participation, as Learn more about our Social Justice Actions. By FY25: Social Justice Action 8, Commit to Historically Black measured by employees’ actions, including advocating for FY20 is the base year for metrics that are not year-over-year. Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Commit US$150 million causes they care deeply about, volunteering, donating, and to preserve the legacy and sustainability of HBCUs, with participating in programs that positively impact communities. By FY25: Social Justice Action 1, Support community US$50 million to fund science, technology, engineering, and Maintained >80% participation in community impact for partnerships, legislation, and advocacy: Donate US$5 mathematics (STEM) education and US$100 million to drive fourth year in a row million to African American/Black (AA/B) nonpro昀椀t technology modernization. organizations advocating for equity and justice. US$37.5 million spent on STEM education Our global communities US$4 million donated between FY20 and FY23 US$66 million spent on technology upgrades By FY25: Positively impact 1 billion people through social By FY23: Social Justice Action 2, Increase representation: By FY25: Social Justice Action 10, Diversify our partner impact grants and signature programs. Achieve a 25% increase in representation of all employees ecosystem: Commit US$50 million to increase the diversity ACHIEVED. 1.1 billion people positively impacted between who self-identify as AA/B from entry level through manager in our partner ecosystem by increasing the number of FY16 and FY23 and a 75% increase in representation from Director to VP+ AA/B-owned technology companies and increasing Learn more about our validation methodology. level, by expanding our diverse talent pipeline. opportunities to accelerate the 昀椀nancial growth of AA/B- By FY32: Provide digital and cybersecurity skills training ACHIEVED. owned partners. to 25 million more learners over the next 10 years through 73% increase (entry level through manager) Increased AA/B-owned companies in our partner ecosystem Cisco Networking Academy. 103% increase (Director) Special focus on 17 Acceleration partners 3.7 million learners trained in FY23 240% increase (Vice President and above) By FY25: Social Justice Action 11, Invest in next generation By FY24: Social Justice Action 7, Supplier engagement: tech innovation: Invest US$50 million in startups and Double how much we spend with diverse suppliers and venture funds led by diverse leaders. receive reporting on diversity metrics from 95% of our Ongoing investment in startups and venture funds led by BIPOC, preferred suppliers. Latinx, and female leaders 108% increase in diverse supplier spend between FY20 and FY23 Note: Progress against all goals listed by 昀椀scal year is measured through the end of the 昀椀scal year, unless otherwise noted. 88% of preferred suppliers reported diversity metrics in FY23
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 7 Looking Ahead Goals and progress (continued) Climate change and GHG emissions Circular design, products, and packaging Supplier climate targets Net-zero goal: By FY25: 100% of new Cisco products and packaging By FY25: 80% of Cisco component, manufacturing, and 5 By 2040: Reach net-zero GHG emissions across our value incorporate Circular Design Principles. logistics suppliers by spend have a public, absolute GHG 9 chain by reducing absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 27% meeting circular design criteria emissions reduction target. 1 90% (FY19 base year). By FY25: Reduce foam used in Cisco product packaging by 92% with targets We are reporting progress through the near-term 6 75% as measured by weight (FY19 base year). By FY25: 70% of Cisco component and manufacturing targets below: 22% reduction suppliers by spend achieve a zero-waste diversion rate at 10 Near-term targets one or more sites. By FY25: Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions By FY25: Increase product packaging cube ef昀椀ciency by 60% by spend with at least one certi昀椀ed site 7 50% (FY19 base year). 1 by 90% (FY19 base year). 65% cumulative improvement 48% reduction By FY30: Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from By FY25: 50% of the plastic used in our products (by weight) will be made of recycled content.8 purchased goods and services, upstream transportation 24% recycled content and distribution, and use of sold products by 30% (FY19 2,3 base year). 14% reduction (based on Cisco’s current Scope 3 emissions 4 calculation methodology and subject to change) Note: Progress against all goals listed by 昀椀scal year is measured through the end of the 昀椀scal year. 1 We will neutralize any remaining emissions by removing an equal amount from the atmosphere. 2 The baseline and progress reported for our 2030 goal includes: purchased goods and services from manufacturing, component, and warehouse suppliers; upstream transportation and distribution from Cisco purchased air transportation; and use of sold products. 3 We updated our methodology in 昀椀scal 2023 for calculating "Scope 3 Category 11: Use of sold products" to further align with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. For more information on our current methodology, as well as data and goal tracking using our previous methodology, visit the Historic GHG methodology discussion in the Strategy, goals, and emissions data section on our ESG Reporting Hub. 4 We expect our progress to 昀氀uctuate year-over-year based on the number and type of products we sell each year. Due to increased product sales, there was an increase in GHG emissions in 昀椀scal 2023, thus progress has decreased from 昀椀scal 2022. 5 The scope of this goal is limited to hardware products and associated packaging, excluding: standalone components (e.g., chassis, ASICs, optical modules); standalone basic product accessories (e.g., power cables, brackets); Original Equipment Manufacturer products (where Cisco does not own the design); products and packaging of nonintegrated acquisitions. Product and packaging designs achieving a score of 75 percent or higher are counted toward the goal. 6 To improve measurement accuracy, we changed our methodology for this goal in 昀椀scal 2023 to calculate the foam used in our shipped product packaging instead of the total foam purchased from suppliers. The base year (昀椀scal 2019) foam use was recalculated using the updated methodology, and 昀椀scal 2023 progress is measured against this. 7 Packaging e昀케ciency is measured by comparing the size of the product relative to the packaging, using dimensional weight. Dimensional weight uses volume and a standard dimensional factor to calculate the weight of a package. In this methodology, the packaging e昀케ciency metric is based on the di昀昀erence of the normalized dimensional weight (by volume) between the baseline and current year. In 昀椀scal 2023, we updated our calculation methodology to improve accuracy. We will continue to report progress toward this goal annually through 昀椀scal 2025. This goal applies to high-volume packaging requiring redesigns. 8 The scope of this goal excludes plastics contained in commodity components (e.g., plastic screws, fans, and cables) and in products designed and manufactured by our Original Design Manufacturers. 9 Suppliers are expected to set absolute GHG emissions reduction targets or intensity targets that produce an absolute emissions reduction during the target period. Cisco encourages suppliers to set targets in line with an approved science-based methodology. Progress toward this goal is quanti昀椀ed using Cisco’s supply chain spend which can vary annually. Cisco will continue to work with suppliers to set their own absolute GHG emissions reduction targets, and to report progress toward this goal annually through 昀椀scal 2025. 10 According to current standard de昀椀nitions used in certi昀椀cation protocols, “zero-waste” diversion is de昀椀ned as a 90 percent or greater overall diversion of solid, nonhazardous wastes from land昀椀ll, incineration (waste-to-energy), and the environment. Diversion methods can include reduction, reuse, recycling, and/or compost.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 8 Looking Ahead One billion lives positively impacted
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 9 Looking Ahead One billion lives positively impacted How many lives could we impact if we pushed ourselves to truly create a better world for all? In 2015, our newly appointed CEO, Chuck Robbins, some of the greatest challenges in this increasingly asked us this question. In response, we went BIG, interconnected and technologically driven world. We knowing that if we made a bold commitment we invested in innovative global partners through our could make a profound di昀昀erence. Social Impact grants and Cisco Networking Academy. So we set an ambitious goal: to positively impact For a goal this big, we sought out promising nonpro昀椀ts to The blueprint for 1 billion 1 billion people by 2025. develop and scale technology-based solutions to critical What does it take to reach 1 billion people? As we celebrate this remarkable This year—more than a year ahead of our schedule— challenges facing vulnerable, underserved communities milestone, we’re sharing what we learned on our journey to 1 billion. We believe we’ve reached our goal. In fact, we’ve surpassed it. around the world. We worked with local and national that our guiding principles can be applied to organizations of any size to drive governments to expand economies, and across a increased social impact. We have positively impacted 1.1 billion lives. spectrum of nonpro昀椀ts to develop the workforce of the START WITH “WHY” BUILD A RIGOROUS TRACKING future and ful昀椀ll the promises of digital inclusion. METHODOLOGY We’ve positively impacted approximately one-eighth of Start with de昀椀ning your “why.” For each Now we’re looking ahead. company, this is going to look a little the world’s population. Tracking and validating impact is a di昀昀erent—and that’s a good thing. Root complex but crucial process, critical for As we consider the next goal we'll set for ourselves, we're your “why” in the products and services This extraordinary milestone was made possible by the transparency and accurate reporting. passion and dedication of our leaders and employees, thinking about the future of our Purpose and the impact it for which your company has expertise, and in the areas of your purpose that are INVEST IN POTENTIAL along with the exceptional work of our global nonpro昀椀t is having on the world. We’re re昀氀ecting on the intertwined passions for your people. partners and the leadership of the Cisco Foundation challenges facing our communities and how we can While investing in proven solutions can and Cisco Networking Academy. leverage our learnings, our strengths, and our technology CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR address immediate needs, identifying to scale impact and build community resilience. INTENDED IMPACTS and investing in new and innovative People were at the center of our work as we focused solutions will help scale and amplify your on crisis response, learning and digital skills development, We know we’re stronger with our partners at our side. There are many ways to de昀椀ne impact, impact over time. Together, we can create a world where everyone so get clear about how your company and economic empowerment. For a goal this large, we thrives. We hope you’ll join us as we continue our will de昀椀ne and measure it. needed help. It was critical to expand our ecosystem of partnerships so we could create solutions to journey to power an inclusive future for all.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 10 Looking Ahead Empowering communities through digital access It wasn’t long ago that an organization’s strategy and its technology were considered separate, their reliance on one another a convenience, but not a necessity. That time has passed. Not only have strategy and technology become deeply intertwined for Through Cisco Networking Academy, we’re working to address this skills gap organizations of all kinds, but technology increasingly drives the ways in and help stave o昀昀 a potential skills crisis. It is one of the longest-standing IT which we pursue our personal, academic, and professional lives. Digital skills-to-jobs programs worldwide, and since its inception we’ve trained over access is no longer a privilege for some, but a necessity for all. 20.5 million learners in 190 countries, 11,700 academies, and 27 languages. But something stands between us and a future in which we can all participate. And we’re looking ahead to the future. In early October 2022, we announced A digital divide exists between those who can connect and obtain the skills a new goal, to o昀昀er digital and cybersecurity skills training to 25 million more to participate, and those who cannot. This gap limits people and communities global learners over the next 10 years. from engaging with our societies and an increasingly digital, global economy. There is incredible opportunity in meeting the challenges of this moment. And with the rise of new technologies, the gap is growing. Closing the skills gap will not only bene昀椀t companies and societies Closing this divide would have a transformative impact on both the lives of around the world, but also open doors of opportunity for many who are individuals and the global economy. According to PwC, global inclusion in disproportionately impacted by economic inequality, such as women, ethnic the Internet could bring 7 percent of the world’s population above absolute minorities, and people with disabilities. The potential economic bene昀椀t of poverty levels and add US$6.7 trillion to global economic output. these e昀昀orts is also staggering—according to WEF research, accelerating progress on education and upskilling could add US$8.3 trillion to global gross As a company founded on connection, we know Cisco has a role to play domestic product by 2030. in connecting the unconnected. Through our Country Digital Acceleration No single entity can close the digital divide. The private sector, governments, (CDA) program, we co-invest and co-innovate to expand access and harness connectivity in communities around the world. In partnership with government educational institutions, nonpro昀椀ts, and communities must work together in new leaders, CDA helps countries and communities reach their digitization goals, ways as we look ahead. The pace of change in technology is only increasing, expand online access, and open opportunities for more people to connect to and we must increase the velocity of our collaboration to meet it. digital resources like education, healthcare, and jobs. It's often said that “knowledge is power.” As we enter the fourth industrial revolution, these words were never truer. As we look ahead, digital access and With the advent of generative arti昀椀cial intelligence (Gen AI) and an evolving skills will be fundamental to participating in our societies and economies. We cybersecurity threat landscape, all workers need opportunities for digital skilling and reskilling. The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that half the global can’t a昀昀ord to wait, and we can’t a昀昀ord to leave anyone behind. We can close labor force may need reskilling over the next two years, and 1.1 billion jobs will the divide and open opportunities, for all. be transformed by technology in the coming decade. WEF also estimates that 3 million cybersecurity experts are needed to support the current global economy.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 11 Looking Ahead The power and possibility in addressing the climate crisis Climate change is here, and its impacts are painfully evident: the last decade was the hottest on record, storms have grown increasingly powerful, and catastrophic 昀椀res are regular occurrences. We’re at a pivotal moment, but with bold, strategic, and collective action, we can help Crucial work to address the climate crisis is already underway in the private sector, mitigate the worst outcomes of climate change, ensuring the opportunity to build an and this momentum creates an incredible and transformative opportunity. But those inclusive future for all. of us in the private sector can do more to help accelerate access to a昀昀ordable All sectors have a responsibility to address the climate crisis, including the private sector. renewable energy. If more businesses move away from approaching environmental We must begin by taking a strategic approach to decarbonizing our own operations goals as a checklist, we can also create new opportunities for our companies and our and value chains, and promoting science-based plans, goals, and commitments. This communities to succeed. The private sector must come together to share our learnings 昀椀scal year, Cisco announced our new environmental sustainability strategy, The Plan for and develop best practices in order to build an ecosystem of partnership to scale our Possible, focused on accelerating our transition to clean energy, circular transformation, impact. We can help catalyze transformation when we work to align our e昀昀orts. and investing in resilient ecosystems. We must also take a new approach to our investments. With a more strategic Building a net-zero world will also require all communities to access more renewable approach, the private sector can help build climate and economic resiliency, drive energy. Innovative technologies have lowered the cost of generating wind, solar, a digital and sustainable transformation, and set up vulnerable countries and hydro, and geothermal energy, making them more abundant and available than communities for success in the future. And this shift can help create economic ever. But connecting renewables to our existing power grids is a challenge. Digital opportunities. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), infrastructure is needed to make grids “smarter,” better able to monitor and balance worldwide employment in renewable energy could reach more than 38 million in energy demands and quickly connect to renewable sources. With digital grids, we 2030. Through our CDA Program, Cisco takes a bold approach to co-investment and can reduce black- and brown-outs while accelerating the clean energy transition. co-innovation. One example of this work is our partnership with Enel Group, Italy’s largest electricity provider. Together, we’re accelerating the transition to a low-carbon electrical grid across Italy. The work is underway, and it has the capacity to scale. Updating and digitalizing global grids will require signi昀椀cant investments. According to BloombergNEF research, the cost to make necessary grid upgrades to support a global Through an expansion of our partnership with Mercy Corps, we’re also focused on net-zero trajectory will be approximately US$21 trillion by 2050. Government initiatives new ways to foster climate adaptation and resilience in the Horn of Africa, and the link like the European Green Deal and the United States’ National Climate Resilience between climate change and humanitarian crises. Framework are driving focus, funding, and action toward net-zero goals. But globally, There is power and possibility in the private sector working in new ways to address the many communities are not seeing equitable levels of investment and momentum. global climate crisis. If we can rise to the occasion and meet the moment, we’ll do good for our businesses and good for the world.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 12 Looking Ahead Power Build and deliver technology responsibly to securely power the world’s connectivity Increased connectivity, greater computing power, massive data volumes, and changing global conditions dramatically impact how we engage with the digital world. New technologies such as Gen AI present new opportunities, but also new risks. As we work to securely connect and protect people and businesses—and support workers in our supply chain—we take a mindful and systematic approach. We design and build solutions with security, privacy, and human rights in mind so that our partners, customers, and their users can leverage the power of connected technologies to improve their lives, meet their business objectives, and ful昀椀ll their potential.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 13 Looking Ahead Security, privacy, and trust Emerging regulations and fast-evolving technology mean If it’s connected, you're protected that the cybersecurity landscape is continuously changing. Many network administrators don’t think of legacy hardware like routers Amid this change, one thing remains constant: Cisco’s commitment and switches as vulnerable parts of their networks. Systems that were to being trustworthy, transparent, fair, accountable, and resilient designed, built, and deployed years ago couldn’t anticipate today’s regarding the data entrusted to us and the solutions we deliver advanced and nefarious cyber attacks, which have become more to customers. prevalent, sophisticated, and complex. With increasing demands on IT and networking professionals, it can be a challenge to replace end-of- Trust is di昀케cult to earn and maintain, yet easy to lose. We build service and end-of-life equipment. It can also be di昀케cult for customers con昀椀dence among our customers and stakeholders through action: sharing up-to-date information about emerging threats, adhering to prioritize the implementation of critical security updates and patches. to a secure development lifecycle process that embeds security Cisco has been sounding the alarm on the importance of updating and privacy controls into our products and solutions, complying and maintaining deployed network infrastructure for years. In 2023, with global cybersecurity and privacy laws and regulations, and we joined forces with technology providers, security experts, and promoting responsible use of technologies like AI. Teams of network operators to launch the Network Resilience Coalition to raise professionals are working in these areas across Cisco, and ongoing awareness of the issue from various perspectives, understand its true security and privacy awareness, education, and training available scope and scale, and provide recommendations and a coordinated for all employees enables us to remain continuously vigilant and framework for improving network security. It helps to bridge the gaps maintain a strong security and privacy posture. between vendors of networking technology, like Cisco, and customers As a technology solution provider to businesses and organizations who manage complex networking systems with limited resources. globally, we face many of the same security and privacy challenges as Together, we can better plan how to manage risk and optimize the our customers. Cisco shares leading practices developed in-house secure operation of critical networking equipment over its lifespan. with our customers and other businesses to help them enhance their own privacy and security so that they can con昀椀dently deliver Learn more about secure and privacy-aware solutions for their own customers. security, privacy, and trust. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 14 Looking Ahead Embracing transparency in Keeping the lights software development on in a war zone We work to enhance transparency, security, and privacy across The Russian invasion of Ukraine our network. Cisco is committed to meeting customer needs for began nearly two years ago—but software transparency, including requirements that stem from cyber aggression against Ukraine the U.S. Executive Order on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity began much earlier and remains and the pending European Union's Cyber-Resilience Act. an important battlefront in the war. Cisco Talos provides cybersecurity Our Cisco Trust Portal allows on-demand access to Cisco security, solutions to Ukrainian government trust, and privacy compliance documents. In addition, our Privacy by organizations and their critical Design approach re昀氀ects our responsible use of personal data, infrastructure, and recently extended which continues to be important to our customers, as seen in the protection to 45,000 endpoints in Ukraine. 2023 Data Privacy Benchmark Study. In 2023, Talos found another way to help Ukraine beyond the cyber realm—by ensuring the Training the next generation country’s energy sector could continue to function despite of security professionals Russian kinetic attacks on critical infrastructure. Ukraine’s high- voltage electrical substations depend on the Global Positioning Cisco promotes technology skills through programs like Cisco System (GPS) for precise time synchronization, which is essential for Networking Academy, and in 2022 we partnered with the U.S. White critical tasks. Ukraine is saturated with electronic interference from House to expand and enhance the United States’ cyber workforce the war, from Russia, and Ukraine itself. This makes it very di昀케cult through education and training. In addition, the U.S. Department to keep power output stable, resulting in distribution challenges and possible blackouts. In response, Talos spearheaded a months-long of Labor certi昀椀ed three Cisco digital- and cybersecurity-focused apprenticeships, helping to enable public and private entities to e昀昀ort to design and deploy custom devices to Ukraine that help source diverse, work-ready apprentices. substations to deliver a consistent power supply—keeping the lights on for a nation at war. Talos, Cisco’s threat intelligence arm, hosted a cohort of interns and partnered with Cisco Crisis Response to train nongovernmental organizations on security and privacy fundamentals.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 15 Looking Ahead Human rights Advances in technology present new challenges and considerations about how the technologies people and businesses use every day impact human rights. Cisco integrates a human rights by design approach to address salient human rights issues across our business. We published our Global Human Rights Policy more than a decade ago, and we update it regularly to re昀氀ect new developments in the way Cisco manages potential human rights impacts. We continue to mature our approach to these issues through enhanced governance, as well as the development of policies and procedures aimed at addressing human rights impacts across the value chain. Governance of human rights issues In 昀椀scal 2023 we established a new Environmental, Social, and Public Policy Committee on Cisco’s Board of Directors, which oversees human rights issues and other ESG matters. Our Business and Human Rights team oversees human rights policy and implementation Cisco rose to third place from across Cisco, while our Supply Chain Sustainability team conducts human rights due diligence in our supply chain. Two cross-functional, 11th out of 60 information and executive-level committees—our Human Rights Advisory Committee communications technology and Supply Chain ESG Committee—provide guidance on human rights (ICT) companies on Know the risks and strategy. Chain’s benchmark, which assesses companies’ abilities to manage human rights risks in their supply chain.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 16 Looking Ahead A human-centered approach to the product lifecycle Cisco considers potential human rights impacts at every stage of our value chain. We assess e昀昀ects on stakeholders, including vulnerable workers in our supply chain, users of our products and solutions, and other impacted populations. Here’s how: RESPONSIBLE MINERAL COMPONENT AND PRODUCT PRODUCT DESIGN PRODUCT-LEVEL DILIGENCE PRODUCT END-OF-LIFE SOURCING MANUFACTURING Human rights impact assessments Cisco strives to identify and prevent We design products to allow for We collaborate with supply chain Supply chain workers in manufacturing and Responsible AI impact human rights harms associated with self-service data wiping, helping partners to promote responsible facilities face a variety of potential assessments help us design and the use of our technology. As part to ensure a right to privacy. Cisco sourcing of minerals and to identify risks, including forced labor, safety build our products. We consider of this e昀昀ort, Cisco complies with works with a number of e-scrap and prevent sourcing from mines hazards, and chemical exposure. We the needs of vulnerable users, human rights driven trade controls recyclers and other partners linked to armed con昀氀ict or human work across our global supply chain intended and unintended uses and conducts human rights due who disassemble our equipment, rights violations. to identify and mitigate these risks. of our products, and unique use diligence on transactions that present and we hold those partners Workers can leverage Cisco’s EthicsLine cases to address potential risks. heightened potential human rights accountable to our Supplier Code as a grievance mechanism to share risks, considering product capabilities, of Conduct. concerns with Cisco if they are unable purposes, and users. to resolve issues with employers.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 17 Looking Ahead Sourcing minerals responsibly Addressing modern slavery and Promoting worker rights While Cisco does not directly procure minerals from mines or the protecting vulnerable workers Cisco is a founder and active member of the RBA and adopted the smelters or re昀椀ners (SORs) that process them, we collaborate with RBA Code of Conduct as our Supplier Code of Conduct. The Code suppliers to conduct due diligence in accordance with our Responsible Cisco’s supply chain is vast and global. Engaging with suppliers to sets standards for labor, health and safety, environment, ethics, and Minerals Policy. Cisco is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative drive conformance to our human rights policies is an ongoing e昀昀ort management systems, and Cisco assesses our suppliers’ conformance of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) where we participate that requires constant vigilance. Our due diligence occasionally reveals to the Code using tools such as self-assessments and third-party in working groups to increase SOR participation in third-party audit that workers in our supply chain have paid recruitment fees, which audits. In 昀椀scal 2023, 169 Cisco supplier facilities completed RBA schemes. Conformance to these industry standards is important as it is considered a risk of bonded labor and is against Cisco policy. In audits. We estimate these audits covered more than 446,000 workers 昀椀scal 2023, at nonconformant supplier facilities where workers were 1 serves as an indicator of decreased likelihood of human rights risks, in our supply chain. identi昀椀ed as having paid prohibited recruitment fees, we oversaw the links to con昀氀ict 昀椀nancing, and the existence of corruption in the trade We work to incorporate the perspectives of people who work in our of minerals. In Cisco’s supply chain, 71 percent of the 3TG (tantalum, reimbursement of US$2.2 million to 1865 workers. supply chain to inform our human rights programs. In 昀椀scal 2023, tin, tungsten, and gold) SORs and 61 percent of the cobalt re昀椀ners Certain groups, including ethnic minorities, migrant workers, women, we conducted a Human Rights Impact Assessment that included reported by our surveyed suppliers were conformant or active in a children, and LGBTQ+ communities, face heightened risk for forced interviews with hundreds of workers to identify human rights risks third-party audit program. Cisco also works to improve conditions labor and other human rights risks. To demonstrate our commitment and concerns. We are incorporating these insights into our human for miners and the communities they live in globally. to protect these groups, Cisco published the Respecting the Rights of rights strategy, programming, and due diligence processes. Cisco is a member of the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Vulnerable Groups Policy, as an extension of our existing human rights Minerals Trade and the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals commitments, in 昀椀scal 2023. (EPRM). We support the EPRM-funded Sustainable Trade in Artisanal Gold program, which bene昀椀ts miners in Burkina Faso by improving 446,000+ and scaling responsible sourcing tools and practices. We also contribute to the RCS Global Better Mining program, which monitors supply chain workers covered by 1 working conditions at artisanal and small-scale mines in and around audits conducted during 昀椀scal 2023 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Learn more about our e昀昀orts related 1 to human rights in our supply chain. The RBA is an industry standard scheme which allows suppliers of multiple customers to demonstrate conformance to a single ESG responsible business conduct standard. Reporting Hub Number of workers represents the total supply chain workers in the entire supplier facility audited.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 18 Looking Ahead Improving health and safety Cisco works to build suppliers' capabilities to identify and address health and safety issues. Since 昀椀scal 2022, we have partnered with the nonpro昀椀t Social Accountability International to implement its TenSquared program that runs for 100 days and brings together In October 2023, Cisco supply chain workers and managers to collaboratively address was named a Leader in the occupational health and safety challenges. Deploying TenSquared Global Child Forum's annual has revealed that greater worker engagement can yield sustainable solutions to workplace safety issues, such as the consistent use of benchmark report. This personal protective equipment or the safe operation of machinery. designation recognizes that The program increases managers’ awareness of workers’ abilities to contribute solutions, while simultaneously helping workers feel more Cisco has taken concrete steps comfortable sharing their ideas. to embed children's rights into Countering the cyber company practice, including mercenary market following up through monitoring, transparent reporting, and Cisco continues to observe a concerning growth in the use of “cyber programs to create action for mercenaries,” private-sector actors who develop and provide intrusive cyber capabilities to their clients—often governments—for a fee. These children's rights. capabilities allow access to networks, computers, phones, or Internet- connected devices in ways that violate human rights and undermine democratic principles. While these tools are often billed as a way to 昀椀ght terrorism and crime, they are often deployed against dissidents, activists, and journalists instead. As we take a security-昀椀rst approach to our products and services, we also continue to advocate for both industry partners and governments worldwide to support a secure online ecosystem. In 2023, we were a principal co-author of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord’s principles limiting o昀昀ensive operations in cyberspace, which received favorable mention at the Summit for Democracy hosted in Washington, D.C. by the governments of the United States, Costa Rica, Kenya, Korea, Netherlands, and Zambia.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 19 Looking Ahead Taking a principled approach to arti昀椀cial intelligence Advances in AI, including generative AI, have the potential to A cross-functional team of Cisco subject matter experts developed TTrraannssppaarenrenccyy revolutionize our industry and transform many aspects of how we live, our AI Impact Assessment process, modeling it on Cisco’s PIA work, and connect. These tools also have the potential to provide program. Through this process, trained assessors gather information false, misleading, and biased outputs and expose con昀椀dential and to surface and mitigate risks associated with the intended, as well personal information. In Cisco’s 2023 Data Privacy Benchmark Study, as unintended, use cases for each submission. These assessments 62 percent of respondents said that they were concerned about look at various aspects of how AI could be used during product businesses’ use of AI, with 60 percent saying they have already lost development, including by the development team, as well as for the PrPriivvaaccyy Cisco FaFaiirrnneessss some trust in organizations because of their AI use. model, training data, 昀椀ne tuning, prompts, privacy practices, and Responsible AI For Cisco, responsible business practices are core to who we are. testing methodologies. The ultimate goal is to identify, understand, Principles And over the years, as we’ve incorporated AI technology to design and mitigate any issues related to Cisco’s RAI Principles of transparency, fairness, accountability, privacy, security, and reliability. di昀昀erentiated solutions and help our customers connect, automate, and stay secure, we’ve done so with a keen focus on respecting We follow this assessment process when our engineering teams are privacy and human rights along the way. developing a solution or feature powered by AI. We also use it when At its core, AI is about data. And if you’re using data, privacy Cisco engages a third-party vendor to provide AI tools or services for SeSeccuurriittyy AAccoccouunnttaabbiliilittyy is paramount. In 2015, we created a dedicated privacy team to our internal operations. embed privacy by design as a core component of our development methodologies. This team is responsible for conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs) as part of the Cisco Secure Development RReeliliaabbiliilittyy Lifecycle. These PIAs are a mandatory step in our product development lifecycle and our IT and business processes. As the use of AI became more widespread, and the implications more novel, it became clear that we needed to build upon our foundation of privacy to develop a program to match the speci昀椀c risks and opportunities associated with this new technology. In 2022, we published Cisco’s Responsible AI (RAI) Principles to document our position on AI and our RAI Framework to operationalize our approach. Cisco’s RAI Framework aligns to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework and sets the foundation for our AI Impact Assessment process.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 20 Looking Ahead Digital inclusion As digital technologies advance, those without access Providing educational content risk being left further behind. Barriers to access can take many forms, including lack of to o昀툀ine communities infrastructure, a昀昀ordability, and accommodations for users with Many of our investments through Cisco and Cisco Foundation disabilities. Cisco works strategically to address each one, so that connect unconnected communities to the Internet. In remote parts more people can enjoy the bene昀椀ts of digital connections. of the world, where around-the-clock connectivity is not possible or practical, we 昀椀nd ways to deliver digital content and services that users can access even when an Internet connection is out of reach. For example, the nonpro昀椀t World Possible creates miniature 1 in 3 people worldwide networks using remote area servers that save terabytes of mobile data downloads and enable schools, libraries, and nongovernmental lack Internet access. organizations (NGOs) to access educational and digital content that Increasing Internet access they otherwise would have no way to access. World Possible uses a mobile app connected to a cloud-based content catalog. Content and a昀昀ordability could is copied to a device, transported to a remote server location, and bring 500 million people synchronized securely with a community server. At the same time, out of poverty and increase email communication, usage statistics, and requests for new content updates are collected from the site. Our recent investment expanded global economic output by education access in remote areas of over 53 countries, including US$6.7 trillion. Kiribati, Cambodia, Guatemala, and Malawi. Cisco also invests in CODE.org to provide computer science curricula to remote and rural communities in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Our most recent investment supported platform architecture upgrades that improved user experience, including for low-bandwidth and o昀툀ine learners. Learn more about Cisco's work toward digital inclusion. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 21 Looking Ahead Powering inclusion Digitization for good COUNTRY DIGITAL through accessibility ACCELERATION PROGRESS Cisco is working to accelerate disability inclusion with our 1300 products, workplace policies, and our partnerships. Since 2015, Cisco has collaborated with governments, industries, and academia to advance national digital agendas through the CDA program. Technology has enormous potential to deliver economic active or completed CDA We are a signatory to the Valuable 500 commitment, projects in growth, create jobs, and improve the lives of citizens. However, it can also create digital divides and a global partnership of 500 companies, representing reinforce existing inequities. Through CDA, we enable countries to embrace the potential of digital 22 million employees, working together to end disability and deliver technology that supports inclusion and accessibility for all. Here are a few ways that CDA 50 exclusion in the workplace. projects are making a di昀昀erence: countries Our Cisco Webex Platform Design team is making updates to better serve people with vision impairments. According to a WebAIM survey, almost half of web users use a screen HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE IN INDIA magni昀椀er when browsing websites, with a quarter using We collaborated with the Assam state government and NGO Piramal Swasthya to launch “Niramay,” a 400 percent magni昀椀cation. Our upgrades will allow users to pilot program to strengthen digital healthcare infrastructure. We supported the deployment of AMRIT, a interact with Cisco Webex tools at this zoom level. We also technology platform developed by Piramal Swasthya to create and store electronic health records. AMRIT recognize the importance of accessibility in virtual meetings, was deployed in 24 health centers, three primary care clinics, and three 昀椀rst referral units to enable where, according to a recent survey, over 60 percent of faster diagnostics, telemedicine interactions, and collection of medical data at the grassroots level. respondents experience accessibility barriers. In May 2023, Webex introduced a new integration in collaboration with Voiceitt, a leading speech recognition technology for non-standard speech. This integration provides AI EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN COLOMBIA captioning and transcription capabilities, making it easier for people with speech impairments to participate fully and We partnered with the government to pilot a 昀氀ood warning system in an area with limited connectivity be understood during virtual meetings. and no electricity. A solar-powered system provides an alert when a nearby river is at risk of 昀氀ooding, providing the local government with valuable time to mobilize disaster response. We’re enhancing accessibility in the Cisco workplace. Through Social Justice Action 12, we conducted interviews across the business, including people who identi昀椀ed as disabled or neurodivergent, leading to a new suite of CRISIS SUPPORT IN THE UNITED STATES resources to help employees of all abilities thrive. We partnered with the City of El Paso to launch El Paso Helps, an online portal through which people experiencing crisis and homelessness can access social services. A live agent can o昀昀er assistance for basic needs, housing placement, emergency shelter, and connections to trained social workers.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 22 Looking Ahead Ethics and integrity At Cisco, we pride ourselves on a culture of integrity, both CHART 1: in the workplace and the marketplace. Our ethical culture Reports to Ethics O昀케ce includes feeling safe, speaking up, and raising concerns. Cisco’s values and high expectations of employees are expressed 2021 2022 2023 in our Code of Business Conduct (COBC). Employees certify to the 1190 1646 1644 COBC and complete training on its content. In 昀椀scal 2023, 99.9 percent of Cisco employees completed their annual certi昀椀cation and training within 45 days of launch. The latest training included a section dedicated to reminding and encouraging employees to speak up freely. Cisco also translated the Ethics Line into additional languages in CHART 2: 2023, and we continue to do so to reach our increasingly global population. If an employee identi昀椀es a concern or has a question that Fiscal 2023 reports by type the COBC doesn’t answer, we encourage them to reach out to the Ethics O昀케ce, their human resources representative, a member of the Legal team, or their manager. Increasingly, Cisco is focused on emphasizing our ethical culture to our partner network, encouraging partners to use the Ethics O昀케ce to raise questions or report potential ethics violations. Learn more about how to report a concern. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 23 Looking Ahead Inclusive Accelerate fairness, inclusion, and equitable access to opportunity Cisco’s commitment to our people powers our ability to drive positive societal change. We are recognized among the world’s best workplaces, and we continually strive to improve. For us, doing right by our people is not only a moral imperative but a strategic one. Fostering a thriving, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture is intrinsically linked to our broader purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 24 Looking Ahead Diversity, equity, and inclusion Our employees come from every walk of life and every part of the world, and there is power in those perspectives. Our business has always been about enabling people to connect and collaborate across distance and di昀昀erence. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a core competency that we leverage to accelerate and amplify Cisco’s existing business goals and mission. It is intrinsic to who we are—and who we intend to be long into the future. Over the past several years, we have seen many organizations commit to—then back away from—DEI work. The opposite is happening at Cisco. Many of our programs that support underrepresented employees have been in place for more than a decade. In 2020, we deepened our work to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace and to address historic inequities both within and beyond our company. In 昀椀scal 2023, we strengthened our top-level commitment with two key appointments: Gloria Goins, Cisco’s new Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion O昀케cer, and Brian Tippens, Cisco’s 昀椀rst Chief Social Impact O昀케cer. DEI informs all aspects of how Cisco recruits, develops, and engages our people. Through fairness assessments, we look beyond pay to support equity in terms of promotions, stock grant values, and bonuses. We enable employees to share their pronouns through our technology and encourage them to connect with others through employee resource groups, which we call Cisco Inclusive Communities. Our teams accomplished a lot over the past few years—and we know that we still have a long way to go. We won’t stop until we’ve realized our vision of creating an inclusive future for everyone, everywhere. Learn more about DEI. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 25 Looking Ahead Catalyzing change through Inclusive Communities Nearly a third of our employees are members of at least one Cisco Inclusive Community. These groups drive their own initiatives aligned to Cisco’s DEI strategy to support full-spectrum diversity and work together across our global enterprise, driving engagement and creating a more Conscious Culture. Some examples of what our communities focused on in 昀椀scal 2023: Adult Caregivers Network Connected Disability Awareness Providing education and resources for Network 29 our caregiver community Raising awareness of accessibility, disability, Inclusive and neurodivergence Communities Conexión Launching a leadership coaching program for Interfaith Network 316 Latinx and Hispanic employees Advocating for policy that's sensitive to the chapters across needs of people with faith 77 Connected Asian A昀케nity Network Helping Asian and Asian American employees countries PRIDE LGBTQ+ & Allies further their careers Driving inclusion in Cisco and local communities 1000+ volunteer leaders Connected Black Professionals Women of Cisco Recruiting and retaining Black talent Highlighting intersections between DEI and sustainability
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 26 Looking Ahead Making connections that accelerate careers Cisco has programs to build relationships and create opportunities for underrepresented employees. Now that each of these programs has been in place for several years, we’re starting to see meaningful results: After these programs, I really felt like that’s where my career started to The Multiplier E昀昀ect The Proximity Initiative Jump and DARE accelerate. It’s where I realized what my potential could be, and I really Asks Cisco leaders to pledge to sponsor Encourages one-on-one dialogues about lived Retains future women leaders by providing started to work toward that. It taught an employee with a di昀昀erent background experiences between leaders and employees the knowledge and tools needed for their me to be brave and courageous. from themselves across the full spectrum of diversity career journeys at Cisco And you feel like you’re supported by some really close friends, even 100% 2100+ 2400+ though you start out as strangers.” of Cisco leaders at or above proximity meetings current alumnae of the - Nish Parkar, Marketing and Communications Leader, Jump and DARE alumna Vice President level have pledged held since 2019 DARE and Jump programs
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 27 Looking Ahead Employee experience We know we get the best ideas and insights when we Catalyzing team development listen to and learn from our people. Through internal research and feedback channels, our employees One of the channels for employees to provide regular candid shared their interest in greater development resources. In response, feedback is through our Real Deal survey, 昀椀rst launched in 昀椀scal 2016. we developed a quarterly program for all Cisco employees, Recent responses highlighted a common theme—the need for clearer Illuminate. We began our Illuminate journey in 2022, and in 昀椀scal pathways for career advancement. This helped shape the launch 2023 we continued to expand our program with new areas of of Career & Learning, Cisco’s 昀椀rst dedicated career strategy that focus for collective growth. Illuminate your Career aimed to inspire employees can use to accelerate their professional development. It is all employees to unlock their career aspirations by building their built on the idea that careers need to be driven by individuals, enabled brand and growing their network, and visits to our internal Career by leaders, and supported by the systems around us. & Learning site increased 591 percent following the event. Access Our people strategy is also guided by ongoing Future of Work to personalized one-on-one career coaching sessions was also research, which analyzes the employee experience and helps inform extended to all Cisconians. Illuminate Your Team enabled leaders solutions for employees navigating hybrid work. From this research and teams to engage in self-paced workshops focused on building and our Real Deal insights, we learned that regular check-ins with healthy, high-performing teams in a hybrid world. After the event, leaders predict higher employee engagement and career success, 90 percent of attendees reported con昀椀dence that the action plans and our people want more consistent and open conversations with they developed would help their team work better together. their leaders. These 昀椀ndings helped inform the new performance and development strategies we rolled out this year to help ensure the Upskilling our teams at a success of our leaders and teams. crucial moment 2.3 million Technology continues to shape our world and our work. Now more than ever, technical literacy is crucial for workers in many 昀椀elds. Cisco’s Team Space Check-Ins submitted TECH for Non-TECH program focuses on upskilling and career mobility 85% 8% for people in nontechnical roles and provides a better understanding of the technical aspects of Cisco’s products. Interactive virtual classes of employees submitted increase from cover topics like cloud computing, networking, data science, security, software development, and emerging technologies. In 昀椀scal 2023 we Check-Ins 昀椀scal 2022 launched 21 new course o昀昀erings and reached 7471 attendees.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 28 Looking Ahead The power of our people In 昀椀scal 2023, over 220 new volunteers joined the Ambassador Hub, an internal site to foster engagement among the greatest champions of our Cisco culture. The space recognizes employees who have participated in our onboarding program for new hires and shared their stories in live panel discussions. Nurturing our culture from day one New Cisconians learn about all aspects of our company as part of their orientation—My Onboarding Journey—and Culture Ambassadors are there to welcome them! By volunteering to join panels as part of the orientation process, Culture Ambassadors foster our company culture and a sense of community through sharing their knowledge and mentorship. They share their perspectives and experiences, and help create an inclusive environment where new employees By sharing our stories, challenges, from around the world feel supported, empowered, and encouraged and solutions, we provide a more to bring to life one of Cisco’s guiding principles—give your best. As Learn more about employee experience. holistic understanding of what it expressed by one volunteer panelist, Lisa Andrews: “When we foster dynamic, successful teams that collaborate and perform, our business, means to be a part of Cisco.” ESG Reporting Hub - Mohit Sharma, Consulting Engineer people, and communities all bene昀椀t.”
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 29 Looking Ahead Health and wellbeing We help employees take care of themselves and their Broadening support families, recognizing that a healthy workforce is the for neurodiversity foundation for a thriving and resilient organization. To ensure that our health and wellbeing programs align with employees’ Listening to our neurodivergent employees is integral to creating needs, we actively seek input through Real Deal surveys, extensive a workplace where all can thrive. In fiscal 2023, we created a wellbeing research, partnership with our Inclusive Communities, global Neurodivergent focus area of the Connected Disability monitoring of healthcare trends, and more. Awareness Network (CDAN). Additionally, the CDAN chapter in our Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region partnered with Lexxic, Embracing diverse a consultancy that helps organizations develop neurodiverse-friendly environments, to provide education and resources tailored to the needs parenting challenges of neurodivergent employees. In the United Kingdom, we incorporated neurodivergence and sensory considerations into the remodel of our Cisco o昀昀ers a range of bene昀椀ts that acknowledge and address the London o昀케ce, setting a precedent for future workplace design. These unique demands of parenthood. RethinkCare, a program to support advancements have been largely driven by neurodivergent employees Cisco parents of children with a learning, social, or behavioral themselves, sparking transformative dialogues and fostering meaningful challenge, or a developmental disability, o昀昀ers expert consultations, changes within the organization. evidence-based education, and a library of skill-based content. New in 昀椀scal 2023, we expanded o昀昀erings to provide support and advice Evolving the Cisco on various modern-day parenting issues, including managing child tantrums, communicating e昀昀ectively with teenagers, and navigating Mind Set program device usage. Cisco Mind Set empowers employees to manage stress and enhance their overall wellbeing. In 昀椀scal 2023, we launched a pilot initiative to transform this individual-focused program into a team experience. Learn more about health, wellbeing, and This shift fosters culture change by encouraging entire teams to bene昀椀ts, as well as programs to keep embark on mindfulness training together, integrating mindfulness employees safe. ESG practices into team rituals and work practices. Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 30 Looking Ahead Championing women’s wellness Cisco doesn’t shy away from di昀케cult conversations on sensitive topics. Our Women of Cisco Inclusive Community’s annual Women of Impact event featured discussions on crucial women’s health concerns, like “Mastering Midlife,” which opened up conversations about menopause-related issues and featured senior leaders sharing their personal stories. The ripple e昀昀ect of these powerful conversations extended regionally, notably in the United Kingdom, where employees and experts engaged in public discussions about infertility, menstruation, and loss of a child. Conversations are just the beginning. Cisco also demonstrated its dedication to women’s health with a new virtual pelvic health program in the United States. This pioneering initiative provides virtual physical therapy for pelvic health at various life stages, addressing the needs of those with vaginal anatomy who may never intend to have children, those trying to conceive, those who have already given birth, and those in menopause. Prioritizing mental health equity We are committed to creating a work environment that values and prioritizes mental health and wellbeing—and destigmatizes seeking At Cisco, we recognize that mental treatment for mental health concerns. Recognizing the importance health is health. We can only build a of a昀昀ordability for mental health care, Cisco recently embarked on a culture of inclusivity and authenticity comprehensive mental health parity analysis, examining the coverage gap between physical and mental health needs in various countries. In when we support our people across several locations, we adjusted coverage so that mental health support all aspects of health and wellbeing.” mirrors what is provided for physical health concerns. But some gaps - Sheila Champion-Smeeth, remain, due to the complex landscape of insurance markets and Global Head of Wellbeing healthcare systems in certain parts of the world. As we continue to advocate for necessary changes in provider networks, we not only enhance support for our own employees but also help drive broader improvements across the industry.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 31 Looking Ahead Employee The power of participation community impact SINCE FY20: >80% Giving back is an important aspect of our culture. It’s a employee community impact participation way for our employees to bring Cisco’s purpose to life— every year, including advocacy, and it’s a sign of employee engagement. volunteering, donations, and more In 昀椀scal 2023, 85 percent of employees participated in community impact—the highest level yet. We measure impact by employees’ US$127 million actions, including advocating for causes they care about, environmental raised through employee donations sustainability actions, volunteering (virtual and in-person), donating, and matching gifts digital give-back experiences, and learning about nonpro昀椀ts through lunch-and-learns. We also launched a new Community Impact Portal and removed the monetary minimum to nominate a nonpro昀椀t for 2 million donation matching, lowering the barrier for employees to take action. As volunteer hours recorded a result, we raised more than US$27 million in 昀椀scal 2023 in employee donations and matching gifts to nonpro昀椀ts. 7100+ We completed a three-year study that examined Cisco employees’ global causes and U.S. schools supported participation in community impact alongside their performance, including their likeliness to remain at Cisco, get recognized, and get IN FY23: promoted. The results con昀椀rmed what we have long suspected: employees, leaders, and teams that engage in community impact 71,000+ outperform those who do not. Employees who take at least one community impact employees took action to give back This 昀椀nding aligns with countless anecdotal examples of employees who are empowered to champion causes they care about, engage action per year, compared US$27 million their teams to get involved, and gain valuable leadership skills to those who do not, have: that contribute to their professional development. This correlation in employee donations and matching gifts suggests that if Cisco can attract employees who are excited about ● Lower attrition our community impact mission, these employees will build upon our ● More promotions 702,000+ existing momentum—and go even further to bring our purpose to life. ● More recognition from peers employee volunteer hours
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 32 Looking Ahead Protecting our environment Connecting inclusion and impact Cisco employees are highly engaged on sustainability. We have 24 Green Cisco’s Inclusive Communities engage employees around an identity Team Networks worldwide that drive environmental change, o昀昀er or topic of interest, including community engagement. For example, resources and training on circular design and sustainability solutions, we launched HAVEN to expand opportunities for people interested in Sparking change in Lebanon and host an annual SustainX event in celebration of Earth Day. addressing homelessness in their communities. Our Women in Science and Engineering group organized career panels, coaching events, and In 昀椀scal 2023, a Cisco Inclusive Community, For more than 25 years, we have hosted electronics recycling mock interviews for women exploring science, technology, engineering, Lebanese at Cisco, participated in a range of events, gathering 111 tons of material in 2023. Employees also and mathematics (STEM) careers. The Alzheimer’s Support Network impactful initiatives: participate in volunteer cleanup events. For example, Thottikallu Falls held its annual executive auction and raised US$152,000 for Cisco's is a popular natural area and attraction near Bangalore, India, but National Alzheimer's team, making Cisco the #1 tech fundraising ● Empowering youth: Collaborating with Life Project 4 Youth, members conducted mock littering and pollution have impacted the falls’ natural beauty. In 昀椀scal team to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Pride LGBTQ+ & interviews with economically disadvantaged 2023, over 250 Cisco volunteers participated in the area's cleanup Allies established a new chapter in Singapore, organized Pride events youth, sharpening their interview skills and and gathered over 2200 pounds of trash. globally, and engaged with Cisco leaders in support of a US$100,000 fostering con昀椀dence in their professional We also recently launched “Ask The Experts,” a program where donation made through Cisco's donor-advised fund at the Silicon Valley development. employees can hear from Cisco thought leaders on how emerging Community Foundation to the Human Rights Campaign, whose mission ● Philanthropy in action: Partnering with technologies are used to power a more sustainable future. is to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and realize a world that arcenciel, a nonpro昀椀t that serves marginalized achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. communities, Cisco donated over US$600,000 worth of Cisco products and technology, connecting 12 centers across the country. ● Fueling warmth: In response to a nationwide power outage, members raised funds and secured 10 tons of fuel for an elder care I am constantly inspired by home in North Lebanon, ensuring comfort during the harsh winter. stories of people across Cisco, in di昀昀erent cities and ● Ramadan outreach: During Ramadan, members partnered with nonpro昀椀t Ahla countries, who give back. Fawda to host a meal for the Lebanese Civil Through our technology, Defense, a public emergency medical service. philanthropy, and The community also distributed food parcels community engagement, and partnered with the Cisco Foundation to donate a de昀椀brillator to the organization. we have a real opportunity to make a signi昀椀cant mark Learn more about our on this planet. - Jonathan Davidson, employees in action. EVP/GM, Cisco Networking ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 33 Looking Ahead Future Help advance a sustainable and regenerative future for our planet Around the world, businesses are undergoing two simultaneous shifts: the digitization of their operations, products, and services, and the demand from stakeholders to decarbonize and embrace a regenerative future. Cisco is supporting our customers in both of these transitions. We lead the way by reducing the environmental impacts of our own operations, designing more energy-e昀케cient and circular products, engaging our suppliers to reduce their impacts, and investing with intention in communities at the forefront of the climate crisis.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 34 Looking Ahead The Plan for Possible Transition to Evolve to a Invest in resilient In a world where climate change is amplifying clean energy regenerative, ecosystems natural disasters, food shortages, and mass circular model migrations, we are embedding sustainability into the way we operate. Through collaboration, we believe we can help build not just a sustainable future, but a regenerative one. This means moving to a mindset in which we build the capacity of our social and environmental systems to heal and thrive. Cisco published its 昀椀rst corporate citizenship report in 2005. Our plan to Lead in energy-e昀케ciency Adopt business models to extend Reduce the impacts of our Since that time, global atmospheric carbon levels have innovation the value of our products and business on water, waste, increased from approximately 379 to 419 parts per million. connect a reduce environmental impacts ecosystems, and biodiversity Average land and ocean temperatures have increased by Connect clean energy and Invest in technology more than half a degree. With this sense of urgency in mind, regenerative digitize the grid incubation to be at pace with Enable communities to adapt to environmental science climate realities Cisco revealed The Plan for Possible, our next-generation future Collaborate with our Cultivate skills and talent for environmental sustainability strategy, in 昀椀scal 2023. The Champion a digital, customers, partners, and the regenerative economy strategy has three priorities, as seen at right. nature-positive value chain, suppliers to accelerate the Deploy Cisco technology energy transition leveraging our global reach to protect and restore Underpinning our new strategy is an enhanced governance ecosystems and biodiversity Continue to increase our model, led by Cisco’s 昀椀rst Chief Sustainability O昀케cer, use of renewable energy in Harness AI, IoT, and blockchain to Mary de Wysocki. In 昀椀scal 2023, we created the Cisco Cisco’s operations Sustainability Council, with representation from functions advance regenerative models across the business, to drive cross-company governance and execution. We also established governance processes for external communications, public goals, and claims related to environmental sustainability. Read more about how we’re driving sustainability Through enhanced governance, we are managing risk, across each of these priorities and explore data. increasing the transparency with which we communicate about sustainability, and upholding the high level of trust our ESG Reporting Hub customers and others have come to expect from Cisco.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 35 Looking Ahead Clean energy transitions GHG emissions reduction goals Cisco has an opportunity to speed the transition to Net-zero goal low-carbon energy within our own business and among our suppliers, customers, communities, and By 2040: Reach net-zero GHG emissions across our value other stakeholders. chain by reducing absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions 1 Our focus on GHG emissions reduction is captured in our goal to by 90% (FY19 base year). reach net zero across our value chain (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2040. We are reporting progress through the near-term This goal has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative targets below: (SBTi) under its Net-Zero Standard, which is aligned with the need to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Cisco Near-term targets was one of the 昀椀rst technology hardware and equipment companies to have its net-zero goal validated under the SBTi Net-Zero Standard. 1 By FY25: Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 90% (FY19 base year). Cisco’s approach to reaching net zero is anchored in reducing 48% reduction emissions across the value chain. Our goal is to reduce all scopes By FY30: Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream of emissions by at least 90 percent by 2040 and use high-quality transportation and distribution, and use of sold products by 30% (FY19 base year).2,3 carbon removal o昀昀sets to reduce no more than 10 percent of our 4 residual emissions. 14% reduction (based on Cisco’s current Scope 3 emissions calculation methodology and subject to change) 1 We will neutralize any remaining emissions by removing an equal amount from the atmosphere. 2 The baseline and progress reported for our 2030 goal includes: purchased goods and services from manufacturing, component, and warehouse suppliers; upstream transportation and distribution from Cisco purchased air transportation; and use of sold products. 3 We updated our methodology in 昀椀scal 2023 for calculating "Scope 3 Category 11: Use of sold products" to further align with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. For more information on our current methodology, as well as data and goal tracking using our previous methodology, visit the Historic GHG methodology discussion in the Strategy, goals and emissions data section on our ESG Reporting Hub. 4 We expect our progress to 昀氀uctuate year-over-year based on the number and type of products we sell each year. Due to increased product sales, there was an increase in GHG emissions in 昀椀scal 2023, thus progress has decreased from 昀椀scal 2022.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 36 Looking Ahead How our footprint determines our path forward Learn more about emissions reduction strategy, goals, and data. ESG Reporting Hub Cisco 昀椀scal 2023 emissions and decarbonization strategies by category 23% 5% PROCUREMENT AND PRODUCT LOGISTICS (Scope 3 Category 4) MANUFACTURING (Scope 3 Categories 1 and 2) We are addressing emissions produced by upstream About one fourth of our emissions come from transportation and distribution of our products by purchased goods and services (including capital prioritizing ocean over air and engaging with suppliers goods). For Cisco, this includes manufacturing and to shift lower-emission modes of transport. warehousing of Cisco components and products, and procurement of goods that support Cisco’s
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 37 Looking Ahead Developing more sustainable products The majority of Cisco's Scope 3 emissions are attributable to product use. By embedding circularity and sustainability into the design of our products, we can have a signi昀椀cant impact. We are working to Enabling smart grids reduce our Scope 3 emissions, and our customers’ emissions, by Enel, Italy’s largest electricity provider, uses engineering more energy-e昀케cient products and developing solutions that can power smart buildings and other sustainable infrastructure. Cisco technology to monitor its energy grid For example, the recently announced Cisco Silicon One G200 chip and preemptively address faults or failures. optimizes workloads while keeping costs and power low. For over a Cisco also helps Enel connect to renewable energy sources, like solar and wind energy, decade, Uni昀椀ed Computing System servers have been engineered with sustainability in mind. The product recently received the 2023 at scale, speeding the transition to a low- Sustainability, Environmental Achievement, and Leadership (SEAL) carbon electrical grid. See our ESG Reporting Sustainable Product Award. Built with modular, easily removable Hub for more ways we’re helping customers. components, its upgradeable designs help to extend the use of the chassis, power supply, cooling, and other major components, and are optimized for repair, reuse, and eventually recycling. The latest X-Series architecture also features technology innovations such as e昀케cient 54V power distribution, intelligent fan controls, zone-based cooling, and 80 Plus Titanium-rated power supplies. With network infrastructure growing increasingly complex, the Nexus Our customers and partners are a key part Dashboard provides a single focal point to unite data center and cloud of our environmental strategy to build a networking operations. Operators can use telemetry to learn about regenerative future. We are in a unique their network’s impact on energy, cost, and emissions through Cisco position to help them make progress Nexus Dashboard Insights sustainability reports. Similarly, the Webex toward their sustainability goals and enable Control Hub recently launched the Carbon Emissions Insights widget, them to optimize energy consumption, which allows companies to view the estimated energy consumption lower costs, achieve greater performance, and carbon emissions of their Cisco devices. and minimize their carbon footprint." -Mary de Wysocki, Chief Sustainability O昀케cer
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 38 Looking Ahead Focusing on our direct operations Cisco has been developing and executing on initiatives to reduce and Environmental Design (LEED®) and International WELL Building the environmental impact of our facilities for more than 15 years. In Institute’s WELL v2 Building Standard with 昀椀ve more in progress. 昀椀scal 2023, we implemented 27 energy e昀케ciency projects that avoid These certi昀椀ed spaces make up 19 percent of our building portfolio. approximately 4.9 GWh of energy consumption and 2100 metric tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) each year. To reduce Scope 1 and 2 We also continue to advance sustainability in our global data centers emissions and make progress on our near-term target, we plan to by focusing on sustainability in design, optimized operations, energy invest approximately US$39 million in renewable energy, energy management, asset recovery and reuse, and responsible procurement. e昀케ciency, and electri昀椀cation projects between 昀椀scal years 2023 and 2025. This includes a multiyear project to electrify fuel-burning heating systems in our buildings and increase the use of electric vehicles in our European company car 昀氀eet. 48% In 昀椀scal 2023, approximately 91 percent of our global electricity came from renewable energy sources, including 100 percent in the reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG United States, Canada, and various other countries. We are also emissions from FY19 baseline making signi昀椀cant strides in India, where 81 percent of our electricity came from renewable sources in 昀椀scal 2023. We will continue our 91% focus on both our onsite and o昀昀site renewable energy e昀昀orts over the next few years. of global electricity came from renewable sources in FY23 Through our hybrid work strategy, we are adopting more sustainable building practices that are not only more e昀케cient, but also make for 19% more productive places to work. By focusing on the quality, rather of our building portfolio is than the quantity, of facilities, we have reduced real estate square LEED/WELL certi昀椀ed footage by 15 percent since August 2017. As of 昀椀scal 2023, we have 35 Cisco facilities with green building certi昀椀cations, such as the United States' Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 39 Looking Ahead Addressing emissions in our Collaborating with clean supply chain energy initiatives Engaging our suppliers is necessary to reduce the emissions that Cisco also supports suppliers in their clean energy transitions. In In January 2023, Cisco joined the Eco-Skies Alliance, which brings arise from manufacturing and transporting our products. Along with together United Airlines and leading global corporations to help 昀椀scal 2023, we engaged with suppliers through surveys and in direct reaching net-zero emissions across our value chain by 2040, Cisco conversations to better understand their own challenges in GHG power lower-emissions air travel by investing in sustainable aviation has a near-term target to reduce emissions in our supply chain and emissions reductions and renewable energy utilization. Looking fuel (SAF). SAF is a biofuel with similar properties to conventional from our customers’ use of our products by 30 percent by 昀椀scal 2030 ahead, we are working on developing a renewable energy strategy to jet fuel but a smaller carbon footprint. Depending on the feedstock 1 (昀椀scal 2019 base year). The 昀椀rst step in reducing our supply chain help us guide suppliers in accessing clean energy solutions that are and technologies used to produce it, SAF can reduce lifecycle GHG emissions is to ensure our suppliers are committed to making right for them and that add new renewable energy to the grid. Learn GHG emissions dramatically, compared to conventional jet fuel. For emissions reductions and tracking and reporting on those e昀昀orts. more about supplier engagement on emissions reduction in our ESG now, SAF is not widely available and is not yet incorporated in our That’s why Cisco also set a goal to have 80 percent of our component, Reporting Hub. emissions accounting reporting. With this investment, however, Cisco manufacturing, and logistics suppliers by spend set a public, absolute is sending a demand signal to support increased production of SAF. GHG emissions reduction target by 昀椀scal 2025. We collaborate Cisco also recently joined the RE100 initiative, which brings together with suppliers to reduce the emissions of their operations, such as businesses committed to 100 percent renewable electricity. supporting initiatives to reduce energy use and providing resources for Sourcing more renewable energy is an important part of Cisco’s emissions accounting and absolute or science-based target setting. Supplier climate target goal to reach net zero by 2040 and our near-term Scope 1 and 2 In 昀椀scal 2023, we piloted the RBA's new Emissions Management Tool target. Beyond helping us make progress toward our own goals, with key manufacturing suppliers to help businesses better understand By FY25: 80% of Cisco component, joining RE100 supports Cisco’s ambition to increase clean energy energy use and related emissions at their sites. manufacturing, and logistics suppliers by access globally and contributes to the private-sector demand for spend have a public, absolute GHG emissions renewables. We also continue to engage with renewable energy 2 reduction target. providers and buyers through the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance 92% with targets (CEBA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership, and we are a founding member of the Asia Clean Energy Coalition. 1 The baseline and progress reported for our 2030 goal includes: purchased goods and services from manufacturing, component, and warehouse suppliers; upstream transportation and distribution from Cisco purchased air transportation; and use of sold products. 2 Suppliers are expected to set absolute GHG emissions reduction targets or intensity targets that produce an absolute emissions reduction during the target period. Cisco encourages suppliers to set targets in line with an approved science-based methodology. Progress toward this goal is quanti昀椀ed using Cisco’s supply chain spend which can vary annually. Cisco will continue to work with suppliers to set their own absolute GHG emissions reduction targets, and to report progress toward this goal annually through 昀椀scal 2025.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 40 Looking Ahead Growing an ecosystem for climate 昀椀nance Addressing the climate crisis is not only a matter of keeping carbon in the ground and out of the atmosphere. It’s also about putting money in the right places—speci昀椀cally, with organizations and solutions that are working on decarbonization solutions and programs PROGRESS TOWARD CISCO that can lead to a regenerative future. FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT TO FUND US$100M IN CLIMATE An estimated US$125 trillion is needed to achieve net zero globally, including investments SOLUTIONS THROUGH FISCAL 2030 in clean energy, agriculture, food, and land use. While many businesses have begun to invest in decarbonization, there is still not nearly enough money where it’s needed, US$10.1 million particularly in terms of funding for early-stage solutions. Currently, less than 2 percent 1 in grants since 昀椀scal 2021 of philanthropic dollars goes toward addressing climate change. As with the need to draw down carbon and regenerate depleted ecosystems before it’s too late, we need US$9.7 million to catalyze investments in the right places—and fast. 1 in investments since 昀椀scal 2021 In 2021, the Cisco Foundation committed to fund US$100 million in climate solutions over the next 10 years. The funding takes two main forms: impact investments in for-pro昀椀t ventures and grant funding for nonpro昀椀ts and NGOs. This innovative blended 昀椀nance approach allows the Cisco Foundation to seek out and scale the best solutions, no matter their pro昀椀t model or 昀椀nancing avenues available to support such early-stage ventures. The Cisco Foundation’s focus on systems change connects disparate stakeholders and encourages capital 昀氀ows. As a result, the Cisco Foundation partners with 昀椀nancing organizations that provide funding to others. These include Enduring Planet, which To bring about a more sustainable future, entirely new levels of innovation and investment are necessary. The provides revenue-based 昀椀nancing and grant advancements that allow climate startups to continue operating while they wait for grant funding. Another partner, Trailhead Capital, Cisco Foundation has responded to this call. I’m con昀椀dent backs entrepreneurs building innovations for regenerative food and agricultural systems. that our blended 昀椀nance approach will inspire other corporate foundations to 昀椀ll key climate 昀椀nance gaps and For Vesta, a hybrid nonpro昀椀t/public-bene昀椀t enterprise, the Cisco Foundation provided both initial grants and an early-stage impact investment for coastal carbon capture. drive forward high-impact, inclusive climate solutions.” - Jocelyn Matyas, Lead, Cisco Foundation Climate Impact Investing 1 T otals may vary from the summation due to rounding.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 41 Looking Ahead Circular transformation Circular economy goals By FY25: 100% of new Cisco products and By FY25: 50% of the plastic used in our products Now is the time to transition from an economy that extracts resources and eventually wastes them, to packaging incorporate Circular Design (by weight) will be made of recycled content.4 1 a circular one that 昀椀nds new uses for products and Principles. 24% recycled content their inputs. 27% meeting circular design criteria We aim to transform our business to extend the useful life of our By FY25: 70% of Cisco component and products and provide ongoing services. By FY25: Reduce foam used in Cisco product manufacturing suppliers by spend achieve a packaging by 75% as measured by weight zero-waste diversion rate at one or more sites.5 We are embedding circularity into how we design our products (FY19 base year).2 60% by spend with at least one certi昀椀ed site and packaging. This means designing to enable reuse, minimize 22% reduction environmental impacts, drive innovation, and realize value for our stakeholders. We are deploying new o昀昀erings that can help Cisco By FY25: Increase product packaging cube and our customers capture more value throughout a product’s life, 3 ef昀椀ciency by 50% (FY19 base year). such as IT payment solutions supporting circularity-as-a-service 65% cumulative improvement models. And we are striving to minimize waste and extend the lifecycle of our products by recapturing hardware and redeploying 1 The scope of this goal is limited to hardware products and associated packaging, excluding: standalone components (e.g., chassis, ASICs, optical those assets through remanufacture, reuse, and recycling. This modules); standalone basic product accessories (e.g., power cables, brackets); Original Equipment Manufacturer products (where Cisco does not circular approach is both good for business and good for the planet. own the design); products and packaging of nonintegrated acquisitions. Product and packaging designs achieving a score of 75 percent or higher are counted toward the goal. 2 To improve measurement accuracy, we changed our methodology for this goal in 昀椀scal 2023 to calculate the foam used in our shipped product packaging instead of the total foam purchased from suppliers. The base year (昀椀scal 2019) foam use was recalculated using the updated methodology, and 昀椀scal 2023 progress is measured against this. 3 Packaging e昀케ciency is measured by comparing the size of the product relative to the packaging, using dimensional weight. Dimensional weight uses volume and a standard dimensional factor to calculate the weight of a package. In this methodology, the packaging e昀케ciency metric is based on the di昀昀erence of the normalized dimensional weight (by volume) between the baseline and current year. In 昀椀scal 2023, we updated our calculation methodology to improve accuracy. We will continue to report progress toward this goal annually through 昀椀scal 2025. This goal applies to high-volume packaging requiring redesigns. 4 The scope of this goal excludes plastics contained in commodity components (e.g., plastic screws, fans, and cables) and in products designed and manufactured by our Original Design Manufacturers. 5 According to current standard de昀椀nitions used in certi昀椀cation protocols, “zero-waste” diversion is de昀椀ned as a 90 percent or greater overall diversion of solid, nonhazardous wastes from land昀椀ll, incineration (waste-to-energy), and the environment. Diversion methods can include reduction, reuse, recycling, and/or compost.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 42 Looking Ahead Incorporating circular design principles Circular design means designing products and systems that enable reuse, minimize environmental impacts, drive innovation, and realize value for our stakeholders. We align to 25 Circular Design Principles organized across 昀椀ve focus areas: 1. Material use 2. Standardization and modularization 3. Packaging and accessories 4. Smart energy consumption 5. Disassembly, repair, and reuse In 昀椀scal 2023, we continued to integrate our Circular Design Principles into core design processes and operations. We also provided opportunities for employees to learn more about circular design and better incorporate the Principles into their work. We organized product teardowns, where cross-functional teams took apart and analyzed components of selected products and packaging to identify ways to improve their design for circularity. Additionally, we collaborated with our recycling partners to inform how we design products for end of life. A group of supply chain engineers from Cisco's Collaboration team also visited one of our recycling partner’s sites, where they learned how products were disassembled for recycling. This greater understanding can inform engineers' future design and material use decisions. Reducing plastic use Read more about our In 昀椀scal 2023, we continued working on several projects focused on reducing the use of plastic and, where plastic could not be designed circular design program. out, increasing the use of recycled plastic. For example, Cisco's ESG Collaboration team redesigned products such as the Webex Room Reporting Hub Bar to use at least 55 percent postconsumer recycled resin.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 43 Looking Ahead Making packaging circular Recovering and redeploying Protecting the product is the 昀椀rst priority for packaging, as repairing Cisco equipment or replacing products that are damaged in transit creates additional negative business and environmental impacts. However, there are Our customers are increasingly considering new ways to extend the New services program many ways we reduce packaging and make the packaging we do use lifecycle of their equipment. In addition to Cisco Refresh, which allows reduces need to ship more sustainable, such as: customers to purchase remanufactured products with like-new replacement equipment warranties, in 昀椀scal 2022 Cisco Capital launched Cisco Green Pay, ● Optimizing space in our packaging, including using multipack an IT payment solution supporting circularity that provides a path solutions for high-volume products for customers of all sizes to acquire Cisco products in a manner Cisco’s Supply Chain Services & Logistics ● Removing unnecessary materials that prioritizes sustainability. At the end of the contract, Cisco will organization supports customer and partner ● Using alternative materials that are renewable, recyclable, or both reuse, remanufacture, or recycle the loaned equipment, replacing hardware Return Material Authorizations (RMAs), which are issued when a product is returned out-of-date hardware with updated models. The program o昀昀ers to Cisco—whether at end-of-life or as part of predictable payments for 昀椀ve years, up to a 5 percent discount on a service need. A new services program aims equipment, free shipping of returned assets, and a con昀椀rmation to reduce the number of RMAs that result from that the product has entered Cisco's Circular Economy Program. service requests. Cosentino, a global manufacturer of countertop and 昀氀ooring products, Cisco Customer Experience (CX) organization was the 昀椀rst customer to leverage a Cisco Green Pay agreement. led the development and implementation of "By cycling out our network every three years, we eliminate e-waste Intelligent RMA Experience (IRE) innovation, and ensure we always have the most reliable and secure hardware which aims to accelerate the resolution of available," says Diego Zengin, Cosentino's Chief Technology O昀케cer. cases involving an RMA and to enable a seamless RMA experience requiring minimal touch for the customer, and reducing risk of damage to the product. IRE provides RMA Read more examples of our progress on packaging sustainability. support using an AI/ML (machine learning) prediction engine and robotic process ESG automation. In 昀椀scal 2023, IRE helped avoid over Reporting Hub 5000 RMAs through automation of work昀氀ows to troubleshoot some of the most common issues with products in the 昀椀eld. This process helps reduce carbon emissions and supports Cisco’s circular economy e昀昀orts.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 44 Looking Ahead Resilient ecosystems As Cisco products are manufactured by our suppliers, water In addition to transitioning to clean energy and adopting stewardship within the supply chain is another area in which we a circular 昀氀ow of materials, Cisco is helping safeguard engage. We work to improve the river basins and ecosystems where the water, land, and ecosystems that businesses and our suppliers operate, focusing on both internal and external water communities depend on. management. As a member of the Alliance for Water Stewardship Within our own operations, we conserve water, reduce waste, and (AWS), we are proud to be a part of a global movement to advance good water stewardship practices. In collaboration with ICT peers, protect wildlife habitats near our o昀케ce locations. We also work with our suppliers to promote environmental stewardship practices we engage high-water-consuming supplier areas located in high- throughout our value chain. More broadly, our products and water-stress areas in water stewardship programs. investments can be used to monitor and manage local resources and In 昀椀scal 2023, we worked with GAIASCAPE Studio under Friends ecosystems. Support from the Cisco Foundation is helping to protect of Nature, a China-based environmental NGO, to train suppliers to and regenerate ecosystems while supporting communities in adapting improve onsite water stewardship through nature-based solution to the realities of a changing climate. workshops, including rainwater harvesting systems, landscaping, Water stewardship in our and wastewater treatment. We also cohosted a “water 昀椀eld trip” with 98% AWS and an industry peer for high-water-consumption suppliers to 1 operations and supply chain learn about the importance of wetland and water source protection on of Cisco key suppliers disclosed to CDP China’s Qiandao Lake. (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) Water is a vital resource that we share with the communities where we operate. Over the past few years, we have implemented water 76% conservation projects in our direct operations that are still conserving 1 of Cisco key suppliers set water-related water today, like our comprehensive water management system at our In FY23, we withdrew 2164 m3 of water, a Bangalore campus. In 昀椀scal 2023, we withdrew 2164 cubic meters 34% decrease from FY19. targets in CDP of water in our direct operations globally, a 34 percent decrease since 昀椀scal 2019. Annually, we use the World Resources Institute's 16 (WRI) Aqueduct tool to better understand our water use and risks. The Aqueduct tool revealed that 33 percent of Cisco’s water use by Learn more about supplier sites engaged in ICT water volume is withdrawn from water-stressed areas. our water initiatives. stewardship program 1 ESG Key suppliers means Cisco Contract Manufacturers, Strategic Original Design Reporting Hub Manufacturers and Hardware Suppliers in the top 80 percent of spend in 昀椀scal 2023.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 45 Looking Ahead Reducing waste in our operations Protecting biodiversity As employees returned to o昀케ces worldwide, our waste generation and ecosystems increased slightly. However, the percentage of waste we’ve diverted from land昀椀ll has also increased, from 75 percent in 昀椀scal 2022 to Cisco recognizes that climate change and environmental degradation 81 percent in 昀椀scal 2023. We achieved this diversion rate through can quicken habitat loss, which in turn accelerates the impacts of reuse, recycling, composting, and donations. climate change by undermining natural defenses against extreme weather, like forests and coastline ecosystems. We also engage suppliers on waste and set a goal that 70 percent of our component and manufacturing suppliers by spend will achieve a The Cisco Foundation’s US$100 million commitment to climate solutions helps protect and restore sensitive agroecosystems. One zero-waste diversion rate at one or more sites by 昀椀scal 2025. As of 昀椀scal 2023, 60 percent of suppliers had reached this goal. recent grantee, PlantVillage, supports smallholder farmers in Africa in transitioning to more regenerative and resilient farming practices, including planting trees on the periphery of their farms. The Cisco CHART 3: Foundation supported a pilot study that leverages technology to Fiscal 2023 operational waste streams plan and track the bene昀椀ts of these agroforestry practices, such as improved soil health, erosion prevention, and shade and wind protection, as well as possible community income via carbon markets. Also, Cisco strives to protect the natural world and its species in our own operations and beyond. For nearly a decade, Cisco surveillance, data, and analytics technology have been used to protect endangered species and their habitats around the world through Connected Conservation—the 昀椀rst solution of its kind to proactively protect animals while allowing them to roam freely. Learn more about how Cisco manages operational waste. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 46 Looking Ahead For All Address root causes of inequity, eliminate barriers, and foster lasting, generational change The most important words of Cisco’s purpose statement are the 昀椀nal two: “for all.” We strive to create a better future for all, by all, and with all stakeholders who share our vision. The ambitions we’ve set and the change we seek cannot be achieved by any one company working alone. We scale our e昀昀orts by collaborating with customers, peers, partners, and nonpro昀椀t/NGO grantee partners to bring this new future to life.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 47 Looking Ahead Crisis response A climate refugee in Africa and a person sleeping on the streets of California share a common struggle—the yearning for basic life necessities and a place to call home. Cisco’s commitment to vulnerable populations worldwide addresses critical needs arising from political instability, natural disasters, and housing insecurity. Through the Cisco Crisis Response (CCR) team, we stand with those in need, o昀昀ering more than just temporary aid. In times of crisis, the ability to connect is one of the most critical and immediate needs. As a provider of networking technology, we are uniquely positioned to securely connect and empower vulnerable communities through digital access, enabling them to rebuild their lives and create a brighter future. We provide 昀椀nancial support, equipment, expertise, training, consulting, and deployment capabilities to support our partners and a昀昀ected communities. Over the past 20 years, we have helped humanitarian and emergency response organizations set up robust networks to deliver life-saving aid. However, nonpro昀椀t organizations are often disproportionately susceptible to cyber attacks, leaving them exposed in critical situations and putting already vulnerable populations at even greater risk. In response to these challenges, we prioritize the security of the networks we build, by providing extensive consultation and leveraging Cisco’s suite of security products to protect our nonpro昀椀t partners and the communities they serve. By addressing these pressing issues head-on, our partners can operate with con昀椀dence and safeguard their vital humanitarian missions. Learn more about our crisis response. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 48 Looking Ahead Combatting homelessness Destination: Home 5-Year Impact Building on the US$60 million donated to nonpro昀椀t Destination: Home between 2018 and 2022, Cisco granted US$5 million to Destination: Home in 2023 to continue its e昀昀orts to address homelessness in Silicon Valley. Over the past 昀椀ve years, our e昀昀orts have focused on We 昀椀nance impactful strategies that tackle homelessness at its core, securing stable homes developing a昀昀ordable housing; preventing homelessness through for our most vulnerable neighbors. And we've made impressive progress so far. 昀椀nancial, legal, and other assistance programs; improving Wi-Fi access in a昀昀ordable housing developments; and supporting the hardware and software needs of residents. 14,923 3300+ US$1.5 YEAR 1 (2017-2018) individuals from new homes across billion+ 215 Cisco has also been a corporate partner of Covenant House since households served through 2014, volunteering and fundraising to address youth homelessness. 5414 33 in other funding homelessness prevention programs leveraged for Our employees mobilized around this issue, including participating households prevented developments housing production from becoming homeless funded since 2018 in "sleep outs" during which they sleep outdoors for a night to raise in Santa Clara YEAR 6 (2022-2023) awareness and funds about the homelessness crisis. Just seven County through Cisco employees participated as sleepers in 2014, a number that our investment 1600 households served through grew to 754 in 2022. Over the past 昀椀ve years, Cisco employees have raised US$10 million for Covenant House. homelessness prevention programs CISCO AND COVENANT Households 61% 37% 89% HOUSE IN FY23 served through include heads of extremely children household with low income at US$2.5 million homelessness a disabling enrollment raised during FY23 prevention condition Sleep Out events programs 750+ Cisco employees participated in Sleep Out events across multiple cities and countries US$1.2 million in Cisco product donations
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 49 Looking Ahead Supporting forcibly displaced communities from Ukraine In the past decade, the global refugee crisis has more than doubled in scope, with 110 million displaced people in 2023. Cisco and the Cisco Foundation are focused on ensuring migrants and refugees have Internet access. In 昀椀scal 2023, we were especially focused on aiding Ukrainians a昀昀ected by war. Much of this work centered on digital services and solutions that leveraged connectivity, including: ● Providing technical guidance and consulting support to build emergency communications vehicles for the World Food Programme’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster ● Managing 29 communications networks established in 2022, supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ● Funding feature enhancements to LifeForce Ukraine, a digital Deepening our commitment to platform developed by AI for Good, aimed at providing accurate and secure information on available services and resources for climate change resilience more than 8 million internally displaced Ukrainians ● Supporting the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) Digital Cisco and Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian NGO, recently Community Hubs platform, which serves as a central point of engagement for crisis-a昀昀ected people, o昀昀ering referrals to completed a transformative 昀椀ve-year Technology for Impact essential services and resources partnership, leveraging digital solutions to deliver aid and ● Providing grant funding for the International Rescue Committee’s development assistance more e昀케ciently. The partnership has Signpost platform, which provides critical life-saving information reached 13.8 million people across 45 countries. Cisco committed to those displaced by disasters and con昀氀ict US$5 million to expand our partnership and focus on climate adaptation and resilience in the Horn of Africa, where over 20 million people are threatened by droughts. With this investment, Mercy Learn more about how Corps will empower pastoralist communities in the region with digital Cisco supports refugees. tools and resources to make climate-risk-informed decisions and manage environmental resources more e昀昀ectively. The goal is to ESG apply the lessons and technologies developed in East Africa to other Reporting Hub regions similarly a昀昀ected by climate disruption.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 50 Looking Ahead Scaling our crisis response team The CCR community is comprised of 600 dedicated sta昀昀 and employee volunteers who donate their time and expertise to support the CCR team and its NGO partners. In 2023, CCR concentrated on building the capacity of its volunteer community outside the United States, with a focus on the Philippines and Australia. Cisco prepositioned emergency communications kits, established teams, and conducted onsite trainings in these regions to enhance response capabilities and preparedness. Responded to 20+ natural disasters CCR GRANTS IN FISCAL 2023 and humanitarian crises with US$8.9 million Bolstering communications in product donations for disaster response US$2.9 million Our Network Emergency Response Vehicles (NERVs) provide fast and secure communications when existing communications may be disrupted. In 2023, we in cash grants FUNDING EQUIPMENT released version 2.0 of these vehicles, which integrate a wide array of Cisco and US$2.5 million+ Cisco Meraki technologies in a four-wheel-drive platform, o昀昀ering reliable connections in disaster campaigns for 昀椀rst responders and agencies during emergencies like storms and wild昀椀res. The NERVs feature fully redundant components, Meraki network-based wireless (employee donations + matching gifts) access points, hyperconverged compute clusters, and IoT solutions for constant data monitoring and control. In the latest NERVs, all networking equipment is powered by 50+ batteries that can be recharged as the truck drives—or by connecting with external, PERSONNEL NETWORK solar-panel arrays—enhancing reliability in a disaster scenario. solutions consulting engagements SUPPORT
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 51 Looking Ahead Economic empowerment Cisco and the Cisco Foundation’s investments aim to Building bridges in rural Africa create equitable access to opportunities and empower Cisco partners with Bridges to Prosperity, an organization focused individuals and families to be resilient and thrive. on building footbridges in rural areas of Africa to help alleviate We focus on three critical pillars of economic empowerment: skills to poverty and close the gap between regions experiencing uneven careers, entrepreneurship, and 昀椀nancial inclusion. economic growth. These seemingly simple structures play a crucial Our strategy is iterative and adaptive, designed to enable rapid role in economic empowerment by providing communities with response to emerging issues, needs, and opportunities within the access to education, healthcare, and markets that were previously sector, at both a global and regional level. Our investments focus on out of reach. Bridges to Prosperity also provides training to local underserved communities that face heightened challenges due to the laborers, builders, and engineers and helps develop local skills and capacity. Building on their proven, evidence-based model, lingering e昀昀ects of the pandemic, humanitarian crises, and climate- related natural disasters, as well as preexisting social and economic Cisco invested in their latest initiative—Fika Map—which leverages challenges. During this time of intense need, we’re doubling down the power of technology, machine learning, and data to equip on our guiding principles for this sector: Stability, Agency, Resilience, and enable government agencies, local communities, and other Independence, and Economic Security. stakeholders to identify transportation barriers and prioritize where to build bridges. Fika Map also addresses a critical data equity issue in low- to middle-income countries, empowering local communities CONNECTIVITY VIA to make data-informed decisions. FOOTBRIDGES CAN ENABLE: 36% increase in wages Learn more about our economic empowerment 75% and our social investment strategy. increase in farmer pro昀椀tability ESG Reporting Hub 60%+ women entering labor market
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 52 Looking Ahead Empowering women-led Training problem-solvers companies and innovations across Zimbabwe Less than 3 percent of venture capital funding is invested in women- Nkosana Butholenkosi Masuku, a 28-year-old from Zimbabwe, won led companies. Astia addresses this disparity for companies led by the 昀椀fth annual 2023 Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership women, especially women of color. Cisco has provided early-stage Award and a US$250,000 grant for his outstanding work creating funding and subsequent investments to develop Astia Connect, the learning platform, Sciency Learning. Inspired by his experience a tech-enabled platform through which all of their deal sourcing, teaching in rural schools, Sciency Learning provides a昀昀ordable and screening, and investment occurs. Cisco’s funding helped Astia accessible STEM education to students across Zimbabwe. Having deliver on its mission to level the investment playing 昀椀eld for more reached over 65,000 learners to date, Nkosana hopes to reach than 1300 women-led companies each year. Recent funding enabled 1 million more across Africa in the next 昀椀ve years. Astia to reach a more diverse investor pool and more completely Advancing opportunities for support investments in highly innovative women-led ventures globally. Cisco and Villgro®, an Indian social enterprise incubator, joined forces skills training to launch Tvaran, an India-based startup accelerator program. Seven winning startups, all led by women entrepreneurs, were selected to Generation helps adults of all ages achieve economic mobility participate in Tvaran’s inaugural year and received support, resources, by training, placing, and supporting learners in careers that and mentorship. These startups address various facets of climate would otherwise be out of reach. With a footprint in 18 countries, resilience—including waste management, sustainable agriculture, plastic Generation targets a diverse spectrum of learner groups who have waste reduction, and sustainable mobility. Explore the impact report been disproportionately a昀昀ected by unemployment. The majority for more details on this program. of Generation learners identify with underrepresented communities within their respective countries. The Cisco Foundation invested to enhance Generation’s digital training ecosystem, which will allow the The Global Citizen Prize: nonpro昀椀t to o昀昀er a uni昀椀ed and streamlined experience for learners, Cisco Youth Leadership Award alumni, and sta昀昀 across its network. Since 2018, Cisco and Global Citizen have partnered to recognize young people who are working to end extreme poverty and using technology as a force for 88% 3X good. The 昀椀ve extraordinary young winners from around the world have been honored for their solutions in education, agriculture, clean water, and healthcare. average of Generation participants The Youth Leadership Award is awarded annually to an individual aged 18-30 increase employed 180 days after and includes a US$250,000 prize paid to the organization to which the individual in income job placement contributes to help them scale and amplify their impact.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 53 Looking Ahead Cisco and NESsT forge a path to sustainable impact A good job with a reliable income is a critical ingredient for rising out of poverty. But REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE NESsT AMAZONIA INITIATIVE for people in many parts of the world, the traditional job market isn’t accessible. That’s where locally based social enterprises come in. Often located in remote, low-income, One year 1 million+ or environmentally vulnerable areas, these organizations can act with their communities’ since its inception, the NESsT Refugee farmers reached in the needs and best interests in mind. Employment portfolio has made a 10 Brazilian states where signi昀椀cant impact NESsT’s mission is to invest in these social enterprises and help entrepreneurs along the ManejeBem operates way. In partnership with Cisco and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, NESsT launched the 2000+ 3000+ Refugee Employment Initiative. The program invests in impact-oriented enterprises that provide job opportunities, career training, and support services to refugees in Poland and individual refugees were provided farmers provided with web Romania, creating 3000 jobs and improving the lives of 5000 people. with skills training, language courses, and mobile apps from Elysios and legal aid Cisco and NESsT are also helping Brazilian farmers address rapid deforestation through that help farmers improve the the NESsT Amazonia Initiative. The NESsT Amazonia Initiative consists of 50 enterprises, planning and documentation of 3800 agricultural activities spanning from Indigenous enterprises that support 昀椀shers along the Amazon River to early-stage tech enterprises delivering and scaling climate solutions in the Amazon. refugee families received Nearly 60 percent of the enterprises supported are led by Indigenous peoples. wraparound services, o昀昀ering support Since its inception, the NESsT Amazonia Initiative has mapped 750 enterprises and in housing, childcare, education, evaluated and monitored 20 value chains. Its portfolio has sustained over 8300 jobs. and psychological assistance Through this initiative, for example, NESsT is supporting two local tech social enterprises, 450+ ManejeBem and Elysios. ManejeBem empowers small-scale farmers with digital tools that promote sustainable agricultural practices. Elysios equips farmers with web and mobile jobs created and sustained for refugees apps to optimize planning, documentation, and regulation compliance, helping to increase crop yields and reduce resource usage.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 54 Looking Ahead Learning and digital skills Many people have the talent and drive to succeed in technology careers but need help developing the right skills to pursue job opportunities. Cisco Networking Academy, one of Cisco’s signature social impact programs, empowers learners with in-demand tech skills and bridges CISCO NETWORKING the education-employment divide. ACADEMY As one of the world’s longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs, 47 Cisco Networking Academy o昀昀ers world-class learning products courses o昀昀ered through a robust partner ecosystem. We provide IT courses and operate a web-scale platform, collaborating with an unmatched in up to ecosystem of 11,700 academies. This approach meets learners 27 where they are, whether through a high school, vocational college, languages university, correctional facility, nonpro昀椀t, or independent learning through our Skills for All platform. We focus not just on skills, but on providing resources to support people on their career journeys, 16.8% connecting students to job opportunities. growth in student While core in-demand tech skills aligned to globally recognized participants since FY22 certi昀椀cations—such as Cisco Certi昀椀ed Support Technician (CCST) Security, CCST Networking, Cisco Certi昀椀ed Network Associate We also use AI-based features to enhance the learning experience. (CCNA), CyberOps Associate, and DevNet Associate—remain a For instance, our Skills for All platform uses AI to assess learners’ Learn more about Cisco priority, we also understand the evolving needs of learners in the competencies both at the start of and during their courses. Through Networking Academy. digital landscape. In 昀椀scal 2023, the program continued to expand a feature called “My Knowledge Check,” learners can evaluate their our learning portfolio with subjects like entrepreneurship, English for skill mastery throughout a course. Using an adaptive assessment to Networking IT, cybersecurity, data science, and programming. This helps equip Academy e昀케ciently determine their pro昀椀ciency across a large amount of course learners with critical skills to support work in AI and thrive in the content, learners can identify their strengths and areas that may ever-changing digital world. require more attention.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 55 Looking Ahead 25 years of Cisco Networking Academy Cisco Networking In 昀椀scal 2023, Cisco Networking Academy celebrated its 25th anniversary, Academy achievements reaching 20.5 million learners across 190 countries since 1997. As we marked these SINCE 1997 IN FISCAL 2023 successes, we also announced an ambitious next phase goal: to provide digital and cybersecurity skills training to 25 million more learners over the next 10 years 20.5 million 11,700 1 through Cisco Networking Academy. students reached globally academies Our roadmap to 25 million more students Networking 27% 190 Academy female students countries Cisco Networking Academy provides an equitable and inclusive workforce 95% 29,700 development program on a global scale. Our goals around the world include: instructors of students surveyed AMERICAS EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA ASIA PACIFIC, JAPAN, say that Networking AND CHINA Academy helped them 22% obtain a job and/or Train 200,000 people in the United Train 10 million people in digital and cybersecurity 4 female instructors educational opportunity States with cybersecurity skills skills over the next 10 years, across the region. Train 6.7 million people with digital 2 by 2025. Progress: 1.4 million people in FY23 and cybersecurity skills by 2032. 188,000 94% Progress: 1 million people in FY23 of instructors say that Progress: 50,000 people in FY23 students have self- Train 3 million people in Africa in digital and 5 Networking Academy reported a disability helped them become Train 500,000 people in India with Launch a cybersecurity cybersecurity skills by 2032—representing an 6 a better educator 2 cybersecurity skills by 2025. apprenticeship program aligned estimated US$200 million of in-kind contributions. with the Department of Labor’s Progress: 605,000 people and US$41.3 million in Progress: 219,000 people in FY23 1 Registered Apprenticeship Program. in-kind contributions in FY23 From beginning of 昀椀scal 2023 through end of 昀椀scal 2032, unless otherwise noted. Provide digital upskilling training 2 Completed From 昀椀scal 2023 through end of 昀椀scal 2025. for 50,000 women annually across 3 Train 10,000 Ukrainian refugees in Poland via From 昀椀scal 2023 through end of 昀椀scal 2024. 4 3 Based on student outcome surveys of students participating in Cisco Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Partner with Brazil’s National Cisco4Ukraine by 2024. certi昀椀cation courses between 昀椀scal 2005 (when exit surveys began) Industrial Apprenticeship Service Progress: 4200 Ukrainian refugees in FY23 Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and 昀椀scal 2023. 5 and Vietnam through 2032. Since July 2019 when Cisco started collecting this data; self-reporting to advance digital training and is optional. Train 2.6 million people in the European Union with Progress: 135,000 women in FY23 innovation in the country. 6 Based on instructor survey participants in 昀椀scal 2023 who were digital and cybersecurity skills by 2032. Completed actively teaching. Progress: 444,000 people in FY23
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 56 Looking Ahead A more secure future When Camilla Ngala Timfe was a teenager in Cameroon, she would go to a cyber café to spend time on the Internet. Years later, when she immigrated to the United States with her two young children, she continued to explore Knowledge is her interest in technology, and particularly in online safety. Soon, she power. When you enrolled in the Cisco Networking Academy Program at the Community know what you’re College of Baltimore County. doing, it gives While juggling part-time work at night to support her family, Camilla you con昀椀dence.” - Camilla Ngala Timfe embraced the program, honing her skills and gaining con昀椀dence. She found the concise course topics and manageable practice sessions especially bene昀椀cial for reskilling into the IT industry. She also appreciated the practicality of tools like Cisco Packet Tracer, which enables users to construct virtual networks, input commands, and verify connectivity. Of particular value was the knowledge she acquired around networking. “If you don’t know how the network works, you won’t know how to protect the data,” Camilla explained. “In cybersecurity, knowledge of the network and networking itself is very important.” Leveraging her networking foundation to excel in her career, she evolved from an intern to a security analyst for a 昀椀nancial consulting 昀椀rm. “Cisco Cisco Networking Academy Networking Academy has been a critical part of my career progression,” partners with nearly half of Camilla re昀氀ected. “Without the networking knowledge that I got from the all community colleges in program, I wouldn’t be able to impact my teams the way I have. My career growth wouldn’t have been what it was.” the United States
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 57 Looking Ahead Elevating K-12 education and teacher professional development Cisco and the Cisco Foundation invest in early stage, technology and reinforce learning. This platform encourages learners to share enabled, replicable, and scalable education solutions. These and remix their code projects in a safe, secure, and moderated solutions expand digital inclusion for all children and positively environment. Our investments resulted in 406,000 youth in 2022 impact attendance, behavior, and course outcomes. We partner with demonstrating evidence of learning in computer science. NGOs around the world to tackle pressing issues, including bridging student learning gaps caused by pandemic-related school closures, Cisco also joined forces with CommonLit, a nonpro昀椀t focused on increasing female participation in STEM subjects, and supporting improving literacy, to expand access to free digital reading and writing teacher capacity-building in lower-income countries. For example, the lessons, create distance learning resources, and train teachers in best Cisco Foundation partnered with ed-tech startup Darsel to address practices for vulnerable students in low-income schools. CommonLit’s Advancing gender equality in tech math education challenges in Jordan, where six in 10 students impact has been signi昀椀cant, with operations spanning over 88,000 schools in the United States and 195 countries and territories, lack math pro昀椀ciency, due in part to lack of access to quali昀椀ed math reaching almost 7 million students in English and Spanish. Launched in 2014, the Women Rock-IT program teachers and technology. Darsel’s AI-powered personalized learning addresses gender disparity in tech by encouraging and chatbot has engaged over 2000 seventh-grade math teachers and enabling young women to pursue careers in STEM 昀椀elds. bene昀椀ted more than 50,000 students, leading to national adoption in COMMONLIT'S IMPACT At the 2023 event for International Girls in ICT Day, our Jordan and ongoing expansion in India and Nigeria. focus was on women using technology to address climate We partner with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to support Code Club 7 million change and protect the planet. The virtual broadcast had over 5000 live viewers and included a Learn-A-Thon World, a free online platform that helps children ages 9 to 13 learn students positively impacted per year focused on cybersecurity in 41 countries. More than to code and be creative using digital technology. Reaching over across the United States and Latin America 200 Cisco volunteers worldwide facilitated live events 3 million students annually, with an emphasis on female participation and career talks. Visit Women Rock-IT to learn more. and focused country engagements in Kenya, South Africa, and Accelerated learning gains up to 2x the India, students use Code Club World to engage in hands-on coding academic year average projects, earn badges, and complete quiz features to demonstrate WOMEN ROCK-IT IMPACT SINCE 2014 2 million+ 91 participants live broadcasts 974,000+ 156 course enrollments speakers
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 58 Looking Ahead Social justice We believe in equal rights, equitable access to opportunity, and standing up to injustice. In 2020, we transformed our longstanding advocacy for social justice Cisco's AACPC, completed critical installations to modernize CAU OUR IMPACT into a global, enterprisewide commitment to inspiring action and technology infrastructure, meet NIST cybersecurity standards, and creating lasting change. ensure their eligibility for Title IV Federal Student Aid. US$150 million Guided by our Social Justice Beliefs, we designed 12 Actions for Social We've also donated Cisco Networking Academy services, provided committed to HBCUs over 昀椀ve years, which includes US$100 million for technology upgrades and Justice to bring together the full power of our technology, our people, a Certi昀椀ed Leasing and Finance Program Certi昀椀cation Scholarship training to students, and we sponsored the Black Economic Alliance US$50 million for students pursuing STEM education and our ecosystem. We embarked on a 昀椀ve-year journey backed by a US$300 million commitment to address systemic challenges and Endowment, a US$1 million endowed chair to help empower the next US$66 million empower communities for an inclusive future. Cisco’s 12 Actions initially generation of CAU entrepreneurs. focused on tackling inequities faced by the AA/B community. Now, in software donated FY20-FY23 we’re building a strategic framework that can be adapted and scaled across the full spectrum of diversity. 46 NIST Building a bridge for HBCUs assessments completed FY20-FY23 30 In 2020, Cisco committed US$150 million over 昀椀ve years to the strategic recovery and sustainability of America's HBCUs, with technology installations completed FY20-FY23 US$100 million going toward technology modernization to keep colleges compliant with cybersecurity risk standards established by US$1.5 billion NIST. By the end of 昀椀scal 2023, Cisco had invested US$66 million in in Title IV Federal Funding preserved at HBCUs services and software, which also preserved more than US$1.5 billion in Title IV funding. We also enlist our African American Cisco Partner Community (AACPC) to do the technology installations. See how Cisco is helping Clark Atlanta Cisco’s collaboration with Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is a powerful University enhance its network security. example of the impact we’re driving through our social justice commitments. To start, we’ve donated over US$1.7 million in security software and services. The CAU IT team and Procellis, a member of
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 59 Looking Ahead Our Social Justice Beliefs At Cisco, we believe in fairness and equity for all. Our commitment to advancing Social Justice is grounded in six core beliefs. Our beliefs inspire us—and guide us—in advocating for justice, equitable treatment, and changing systems to be more inclusive around the world. Technology for good Proximity Technology connects us. It makes the world better. We're committed We educate ourselves by getting closer to people who have lived—and to building technology that encourages people to create new are living—through injustice, hatred, prejudice, or discrimination simply possibilities. And we defend against any misuse of our technology to for being who they are. It's that empathy and understanding that censor, oppress, or bring injustice against anyone. drives us to act boldly. Equity Security of being Social justice isn't political. It's a call for fairness and solutions that We stand for the most fundamental of human rights—the security confront injustice and create economies, cultures, and communities of being—to protect people who are targets of prejudice, hate, where everyone can thrive. and violence. Supplier diversity Coalescence at Cisco We're creating a culture that brings our employees, suppliers, Cisco’s Supplier Diversity Program and our communities, and partners together to take action and drive Social Justice Action 7 focus on extending our meaningful change. commitment to full spectrum diversity to the owners Full-spectrum diversity and employees of businesses that supply billions in goods and services that we purchase every We believe that social justice must ultimately be addressed across year. This year we exceeded our goal to double the full spectrum of diversity, including gender identity, age, race, the amount we spend with diverse suppliers by ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, nationality, religion, 2023. We track not only diversity of ownership in military status, background, culture, experience, strengths, our supplier community, but also the diversity of and perspectives. preferred suppliers’ employees that directly support Cisco. In turn, we share resources with suppliers about how they can drive diversity and create strong cultures within their own workforces.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 60 Looking Ahead Highlights of our progress Fiscal years 2020 through 2023 (FY20-FY23). FY20 is the base year for metrics that are not year-over-year. By FY25: Social Justice Action 1, Support By FY24: Social Justice Action 7, Supplier By FY25: Social Justice Action 10, Diversify our community partnerships, legislation, and engagement: Double how much we spend partner ecosystem: Commit US$50 million to advocacy: Donate US$5 million to AA/B nonpro昀椀t with diverse suppliers and receive reporting increase the diversity in our partner ecosystem organizations advocating for equity and justice. on diversity metrics from 95% of our by increasing the number of AA/B-owned 1 US$4 million donated between FY20 and FY23 preferred suppliers. technology companies and increasing 108% increase in diverse supplier spend opportunities to accelerate the 昀椀nancial growth By FY23: Social Justice Action 2, Increase between FY20 and FY23 of AA/B-owned partners. representation: Achieve a 25% increase in 88% of preferred suppliers reported diversity Increased AA/B-owned companies in our representation of all employees who self-identify metrics in FY23 partner ecosystem as AA/B from entry level through manager and a Special focus on 17 Acceleration partners 75% increase in representation from Director to By FY25: Social Justice Action 8, Commit to VP+ level, by expanding our diverse talent pipeline. HBCUs: Commit US$150 million to preserve the By FY25: Social Justice Action 11, Invest in next ACHIEVED. legacy and sustainability of HBCUs, with US$50 generation tech innovation: Invest 73% increase (entry level through manager) million to fund science, technology, engineering, US$50 million in startups and venture 103% increase (Director) and mathematics (STEM) education and US$100 funds led by diverse leaders. million to drive technology modernization. Ongoing investment in startups and venture funds 240% increase (Vice President and above) US$37.5 million spent on STEM education led by BIPOC, Latinx, and female leaders US$66 million spent on technology upgrades Learn more about our Social Justice Actions. ESG Note: Progress against all goals listed by 昀椀scal year is measured through the end of the 昀椀scal year, unless otherwise noted. Reporting Hub 1 The timeframe for this goal is calendar year 2023.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 61 Looking Ahead Partnering for Purpose Partnering for Purpose is an initiative that was launched at Cisco ● Over 1300 volunteer hours accumulated during a week of give-back Partner Summit in November 2022. It aligns with our commitment activities that involved multiple partners in the United States, for an inclusive future and makes it easier for our partners, customers, Canada, and Latin America and suppliers around the world to collaborate with us in order to ● The many partners engaged in our new Allied Partner model who accelerate and amplify our collective positive impact around the world. are mentoring minority-owned businesses and working together to build their own diverse companies and cultures Since launch, we’ve seen it grow into a movement that includes our partners and Cisco sharing best practices and collaborating in It is ful昀椀lling to see how purpose is playing a signi昀椀cant role in the ways Public policy and advocacy in which our partners drive innovation. This was demonstrated through di昀昀erent ways to amplify and grow this work together. We’ve seen the many purpose-driven submissions received in the new Partnering actions big and small that all help to drive our purpose such as: for Purpose category of the 2023 Global Partner Innovation Challenge. Cisco develops and advocates for pro-technology ● ePlus working with Cisco and its own customers to provide policies and regulations. We engage with digital skills training for over 300 middle school girls through The winners in this category included: governments at all levels, focusing on public their successful Girls Re-Imagining Tomorrow (GRIT) program ● Long View Systems in Canada and Kiw One in Spain for policies that support Cisco, our partners, and innovations addressing environmental sustainability, helping their our customers, as well as enabling our purpose customers achieve their ESG objectives and net-zero targets to Power an Inclusive Future for All. Visit our Championing sustainability through ● Connect Professional Services in Egypt for innovation leveraging Government A昀昀airs website for more information professional excellence technology to address the access to healthcare in remote areas on our policy priorities, including: ● LiteScape Technologies in the United States for their innovation ● Unlocking the power of the Internet in ensuring vulnerable and marginalized populations can stay Cisco and Ingram Micro united to launch the 昀椀rst Cisco Partnering ● Supporting sustainability connected to family and loved ones for Purpose Initiative in Australia: Blackbelt Certi昀椀cation for a ● Free trade and inclusive trade policies Better Future. Both companies pledged donations to Planet These inspiring submissions not only highlight the ingenuity and ● Investing in people and knowledge innovative spirit of Cisco’s partners, but also show how doing good is Ark, an Australian environmental nonpro昀椀t, for every Black Belt ● Preserving an open Internet good business when we create a lasting, positive impact on the world Sustainability Certi昀椀cation completed. The initiative surpassed around us. ● Protecting innovation its goal with 202 Black Belt Sustainability Certi昀椀cates issued, representing a 154 percent increase in Cisco Environmental ● Promoting investment Sustainability Specialized Partners and a AU$40,000 donation ● Security against evolving threats Get involved with Partnering for Purpose. to Planet Ark. The increase in certi昀椀cations and specializations ● Building next-generation wireless networks translates into more skilled people designing more environmental savvy solutions for our customers. ESG Reporting Hub
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 62 Looking Ahead Looking Ahead Our Purpose can’t just be something we look back on Each year we look back at our accomplishments and the positive impact we’ve made in the world, but we can’t stop there. To continue driving lasting change, we must also look ahead and consider the changing terrain, identify challenges and trends, and recognize opportunities. We 昀椀nd our way forward by leveraging our unique strengths to do good for our communities, good for our business, and good for all.
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 63 Looking Ahead A message from What is the purpose of a Purpose Report? Historically we’ve used our bear the brunt of its impact. And due to a lack of infrastructure and Fran Katsoudas Purpose Report as an opportunity to re昀氀ect on the year’s work and the technological advancement, they are often the least equipped to progress we’ve made against our goals, to quantify our impact, and respond to natural disasters. While the digital economy continues to Chief People, Policy, and to highlight the people and lives we’ve touched. Several years ago, grow, 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, denying them access to we realized that intersecting our business, technology, and innovation the opportunities and resources available. The consequences of each Purpose O昀케cer together with our Purpose allowed us to focus where we could have crisis exacerbate others—access to education is disrupted, progress the biggest impact. We also recognized that if we designed and for women and girls is set back, and extreme poverty rates rise. operationalized our purpose thoughtfully, we could drive impact while Pursuing our Purpose can and must be the glue that brings driving business results—creating something lasting and real. us together to meet this moment and address these complex, Any company looking to successfully execute their business strategy interconnected issues. The question we must continue to ask as must consider the changing terrain, identify upcoming challenges and we look ahead is, how? trends, and anticipate how to best meet evolving requirements. The Crisis response won’t solve these issues. same is true for purpose. Our biggest challenges are interconnected We must build resilient communities. and interdependent. To get ahead of compounding shocks, we must embed resilience in all aspects of our communities. Resilient communities are those The past several years brought us all unprecedented challenges, and equipped with the necessary tools and resources to adapt and a world more prone to polarization than before. But instead of binary bounce back in the face of various challenges, including natural questions and issues, a more multipolar world has emerged, requiring disasters, economic disruptions, and social crises. Over the past few us to operate with more nuance and greater context than ever. In years, we’ve seen that many communities around the world don’t this context one thing is clear—we are more interconnected and have what they need to withstand, respond, and recover from the interdependent than ever. challenges we have and will face. Our lives and futures are linked by our shared dependence on our Our e昀昀orts to bring our Purpose to life can be harnessed and planet and its environments. We have a global responsibility to solve focused on building resilient global communities. When we de昀椀ned the climate crisis together. We see the growth of an increasingly our Purpose, to Power an Inclusive Future for All, we operationalized digital and global economy, keeping us connected through the work of our teams to co-innovate with partners leveraging ecosystems of 昀椀nancial interdependence. And as we learned in the connectivity; address the digital skills gap; drive sustainability, recent pandemic, our collective health is also inextricably linked. inclusivity, and social justice; and support new ideas with partnerships Global crises also continue to grow increasingly interconnected—and and impact grants. All these bodies of work have a place in building the consequences disproportionately fall on vulnerable communities. community resilience. Developing nations who often contribute the least to climate change
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 64 Looking Ahead We can’t do it alone. In Africa, we have a powerful opportunity I often speak about how in the arena of purpose and social impact, to build resilience and opportunity. there should be less competition. When we see a problem, those of This summer, I spent eight weeks in Africa. I have been honored to be to drive impact. Cisco has invested in infrastructure, cross-sector us focused on this work are so often compelled to jump in, o昀昀ering Cisco’s Executive Sponsor of the continent for several years, and while collaboration, support for innovation, and new approaches to our company’s help. But no one company can solve deeply complex partnership—investments that I believe could help create the potential I had visited many times in the past, this summer was di昀昀erent. I had issues, and we can do so much more and amplify our work when we time to connect more deeply with customers, partners, and community for many African countries to “leapfrog” technologically and create do it together. I recognize the irony in saying this in an annual report organizations, and listen to their challenges and opportunities. new dynamics. focused on quantifying and celebrating the impact of our company. A better approach as we look ahead will be to consider how we can There is tremendous global interest in the continent today, and We can approach communities and our work in new ways with our accelerate solutions by partnering—particularly with organizations it’s easy to see why: Africa has the world’s youngest population, private sector peers, governments, nonpro昀椀ts, and community whose strengths complement our own. incredible innovation, and cities that are rapidly expanding, creating members. We can solve community challenges by leveraging the cycles of growth. The energy is palpable. There are also challenges, strengths and expertise of all organizations with proximity. I’ve learned that when we try to tackle issues alone, we often create including political upheaval and its impact on communities, unstable fragmented solutions. When many companies are building stand- energy grids, threats posed by climate change, and limited access to If we can shift our approach—to partner, collaborate, and endorse, alone solutions in a community, the community bears the burden of the Internet and the services and opportunities it provides. rather than compete—I believe we will not only build thriving, resilient communities across Africa, but also open opportunities for our bringing them together. A community, like a customer, has speci昀椀c needs and can only take in so many solutions at one time. It's a Spending time on the continent taught me about the local, nuanced company’s unique o昀昀erings to shine, driving even greater success. delicate dance for all companies and all leaders, but I truly believe the issues facing the communities and how we can better cooperate future of Purpose work in the private sector lies in our taking a more collaborative, less independent approach. When you invest in communities and build resilience, you aren’t just protecting against future shocks. You’re opening up the potential for exponential opportunity and growth. Purpose can 昀氀ex. It operates in a lane that is valued around the world, giving all of us who do this work the space to create and iterate, to sway and pivot, and 昀椀nd our rhythm. And when we do, pursuing our Purpose holds the door open for economic initiatives."
Intro Power Inclusive Future For All FY23 Purpose Report | 65 Looking Ahead Where do we go from here? Our Purpose can’t just be something we look back on—we must also look ahead. There is no doubt that the path forward for business in a multipolar world is less clear. There is signi昀椀cant work ahead to address risks in supply chains and manufacturing, and complex questions on how to best navigate a shifting geopolitical terrain. But should these challenges and uncertainties also apply to Purpose? I don’t think so. In fact, in this moment when many are shying away from a global mindset and approach, our Purpose work proceeds by pursuing what is most meaningful, regardless of whether that is at the local or global level. Purpose can 昀氀ex. It operates in a lane that is valued around the world, giving all of us who do this work the space to create and iterate, to sway and pivot, and 昀椀nd our rhythm. And when we do, pursuing our Purpose holds the door open for economic initiatives. As we close the year in which we reached a goal of positively impacting 1 billion people, I’m looking ahead to the next goal we’ll set for ourselves. We’ll continue to drive positive impact if we integrate the lessons of the past and take a new approach in the days and years ahead. If we approach problems as an ecosystem of partner organizations, each leveraging our unique strengths, we’ll do good for our communities, good for our businesses, and good for all. Fran Katsoudas Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy, and Purpose Officer
Americas Headquarters San Jose, CA, USA Asia Pacific Headquarters Singapore Europe Headquarters Amsterdam, The Netherlands Cisco has approximately 400 offices worldwide. Addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers are listed on the Cisco website at www.cisco.com/go/offices. Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned 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. (111OR) © 2023 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco public information. Version 3, December 2023 Forward-looking statements This report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the industries in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “targets,” “goals,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “momentum,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “continues,” “endeavors,” “strives,” “may,” variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to (1) our goals, commitments, and programs; (2) our business plans, initiatives, and objectives; (3) our assumptions and expectations; (4) the scope and impact of our corporate responsibility risks and opportunities; and (5) standards and expectations of third parties are forward- looking. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including those identified in our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Cisco continuously strives for transparency in our reporting on our ESG initiatives, goals, and progress. We set ambitious goals knowing that they may be difficult to fully achieve, but we strive to meet them within the designated time frames all the same. Acquiring other companies can potentially impact our progress towards our ESG goals. We will transparently report on our progress, including any impacts from acquisitions.