Cisco and Suppliers

Social and environmental standards vary from country to country and company to company. In developed countries, workers' rights, health, safety, and environmental protection are usually enforced by law. In some developing countries, social and environmental standards may differ with regulations absent or not effectively enforced.

The global supply chain for electronic components means many parts are manufactured in developing countries. As a result, issues surrounding employment and environmental standards have arisen in the electronics supply chain.

Working in Partnership

Cisco, working in partnership with other companies in the IT sector, has begun the process of addressing both human rights and environmental issues as they relate to the high-tech industry. We believe that by working together, our collaborative efforts can significantly improve social and environmental practices worldwide.

In 2004, Cisco announced its endorsement of the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct (EICC), which was developed as a voluntary measure to establish and promote a unified standard for social and environmental practices across the electronic industry's supply chain. It covers a range of social responsibility issues, including labor and employment practices, health and safety, ethics, the protection of the environment, and management expectations to ensure code conformity.

Implementation

The EICC Implementation Group helps facilitate adoption. The mission of the Implementation Group is to focus efforts on positive social and environmental change in our supply base through a shared approach to code implementation based on the EICC. This approach will provide consistent code expectations throughout the IT supply chain, reduce duplication of effort, and improve productivity. The group is facilitated by Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), a nonprofit business organization.

As a member of this EICC Implementation Group and as well as the Global eSustainability initiative facilitated by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Cisco is working with suppliers, partners, and other leading IT companies to develop common approaches to supplier risk assessment, supplier surveys, supplier auditing, and common audit reporting methods. Cisco's continued support of this industry effort reflects our ongoing corporate commitment to promoting the improvement of working conditions and the environment throughout our extended supply chain.

Download the full text of the Cisco Supplier Code of Conduct (PDF - 63 KB).