Our progress

Goal: Sustain 80% community impact participation in fiscal 2023, as measured by employees’ actions, including advocating for causes they care deeply about, volunteering, donating, and participating in programs that positively impact communities.

Maintained >80% participation in community impact for fourth year in a row.

Read more about our employee community impact in our 2023 Purpose Report.

Goal: Positively impact 1 billion people through social impact grants and signature programs by fiscal 2025.

ACHIEVED: 1.1 billion people positively impacted between fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2023.¹

Goal: Provide digital and cybersecurity skills training to 25 million more learners over the next 10 years through Cisco Networking Academy.²

3.7 million learners trained in fiscal 2023.

Read more about Our Global Communities.

Fiscal 2020 is the base year for metrics that are not year-over-year.

Goal: Social Justice Action 1, Support community partnerships, legislation, and advocacy: Donate US$5 million to African American/Black (AA/B) nonprofit organizations advocating for equity and justice by fiscal 2025.

$4 million donated between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023.

Goal: Social Justice Action 2, Increase representation: Achieve a 25% increase in representation of all employees who self-identify as AA/B from entry level through manager and a 75% increase in representation from Director to Vice President+ level by fiscal 2023, by expanding our diverse talent pipeline.

ACHIEVED: 73% increase (entry level through manager), 103% increase (Director), 240% increase (Vice President and above).

Goal: Social Justice Action 7, Supplier engagement: Double how much we spend with diverse suppliers and receive reporting on diversity metrics from 95% of our preferred suppliers by fiscal 2024.

108% increase in diverse supplier spend between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023.

88% of preferred suppliers reported diversity metrics in fiscal 2023.

Goal: Social Justice Action 8, Commit to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Commit US$150 million to preserve the legacy and sustainability of HBCUs, with US$50 million to fund science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and US$100 million to drive technology modernization by fiscal 2025.

US$37.5 million spent on STEM education and US$66 million spent on technology upgrades through fiscal 2023.

Goal: Social Justice Action 10, Diversify our partner ecosystem: Commit US$50 million to increase the diversity in our partner ecosystem by increasing the number of AA/B-owned technology companies and increasing opportunities to accelerate the financial growth of AA/B-owned partners by fiscal 2025.

Increased AA/B-owned companies in our partner ecosystem

Special focus on 17 Acceleration partners

Goal: Social Justice Action 11, Invest in next generation tech innovation: Invest US$50 million in startups and venture funds led by diverse leaders by fiscal 2025.

Ongoing investment in startups and venture funds led by BIPOC, Latinx, and female leaders.

Read more about Our Social Justice Beliefs and Actions.

Climate change and greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions

Goal: Reach net zero GHG emissions across our value chain by reducing absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 90% by 2040 (fiscal 2019 base year).³

We are reporting progress through the near-term targets below.

Near-term target: Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 90% by fiscal 2025 (fiscal 2019 base year).³

48% reduction in fiscal 2023.

Near-term target: Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, and use of sold products by 30% by fiscal 2030 (fiscal 2019 base year).^4,5

14% reduction (based on Cisco’s current Scope 3 emissions calculation methodology and subject to change).⁶

Read more about how we are addressing climate change.

Circular design, products, and packaging

Goal: 100% of new Cisco products and packaging incorporate Circular Design Principles by fiscal 2025.⁷

27% meeting circular design criteria in fiscal 2023.

Goal: Reduce foam used in Cisco product packaging by 75% as measured by weight by fiscal 2025 (fiscal 2019 base year).⁸

22% reduction in fiscal 2023.

Goal: Increase product packaging cube efficiency by 50% by fiscal 2025 (fiscal 2019 base year).⁹

65% cumulative improvement in fiscal 2023.

Goal: 50% of plastic used in our products (by weight) will be made of recycled content by fiscal 2025.¹⁰

24% recycled content used in products in fiscal 2023.

Read more about our commitment to driving a Circular Economy.

Goal: 80% of Cisco component, manufacturing, and logistics suppliers by spend will have a public, absolute GHG emissions reduction target by fiscal 2025.¹¹

92% with targets in fiscal 2023.

Goal: 70% of Cisco component and manufacturing suppliers by spend will achieve a zero-waste diversion rate at one or more sites by fiscal 2025.¹²

60% by spend with at least one certified site.

Read more about our supply chain.

View all of Cisco's current and past environmental goals.

1 Learn more about our validation methodology.

2 From beginning of fiscal 2023 through end of fiscal 2032.

3 We will neutralize any remaining emissions by removing an equal amount from the atmosphere.

4 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.

5 We updated our methodology in fiscal 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.

6 We expect our progress to fluctuate 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 fiscal 2023, thus progress has decreased from fiscal 2022.

7 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.

8 To improve measurement accuracy, we changed our methodology for this goal in fiscal 2023 to calculate the foam used in our shipped product packaging instead of the total foam purchased from suppliers. The base year (fiscal 2019) foam use was recalculated using the updated methodology, and fiscal 2023 progress is measured against this.

9 Packaging efficiency 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 efficiency metric is based on the difference of the normalized dimensional weight (by volume) between the baseline and current year. In fiscal 2023, our calculation methodology was updated and we are using that to report our fiscal 2023 progress. This goal applies to high-volume packaging requiring redesigns.

10 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.

11 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 quantified 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 fiscal 2025.

12 According to current standard definitions used in certification protocols, “zero-waste” diversion is defined as a 90 percent or greater overall diversion of solid, nonhazardous wastes from landfill, incineration (waste-to-energy), and the environment. Diversion methods can include reduction, reuse, recycling, and/or compost.