Skip to Main Content
(Press Enter)

United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals

At Cisco we support 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 UN Global Compact (UNGC) since 2001, and our purpose strategy and priorities, which are shaped by our stakeholder engagement and ESG materiality assessment initiatives, align with and support the SDGs. Below, explore some examples of how Cisco contributes to the SDGs while working to advance our purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All.

UN SDG 1: No poverty Cisco contributes to global efforts to reduce poverty via our social investment strategy, through which we provide support to early-stage, technology-enabled solutions that benefit underserved communities. Through our work with our social impact partners, for example, we create opportunities for education and employment that help break the cycle of poverty.
UN SDG 2: Zero hunger Cisco provides technical and financial support to communities in need and those facing humanitarian crises, including food and water insecurity, through our employee community impact and crisis response efforts.
UN SDG 3: Good health and well-being Cisco actively supports the good health and wellbeing of our people by cultivating a Conscious Culture and providing benefits for all our employees. In support of the health and wellbeing of our global communities, we achieved our goal of positively impacting 1 billion people.
UN SDG 4: Quality education Cisco champions learning and digital skills development to prepare learners for the evolving digital workforce and invests in equitable and inclusive access to technology-based education on a global scale.
UN SDG 5: Gender equality Cisco works to break down barriers for women in tech through initiatives that include Women Rock-IT. Our strategic approach to inclusion helps to promote gender equality as we work to promote inclusion within Cisco, across our value chain, and around the world.
UN SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation Cisco advances water stewardship and works to improve water security in our direct operations and throughout our supply chain.
UN SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy Cisco invests in improving the energy efficiency of our facilities and our products, and we embrace our opportunity to share solutions that drive sustainability and help our customers, suppliers, and partners reduce the environmental impacts of their energy use.
UN SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth Cisco strives for transparent disclosure of the policies, positions, and guides that help shape the way we do business. Our efforts to provide productive employment and decent work include our approach to handling ethics concerns and our long-standing commitment to uphold and respect human rights throughout our supply chain.
UN SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Cisco helps to shape the future of work and the technology industry through our smart building and hybrid work strategies. Our focus on supply chain sustainability allows us to share innovative techniques and build resilience throughout the Cisco ecosystem.
UN SDG 10: Reduced inequalities Cisco strives to reduce inequalities both within our own workforce and throughout our global community, guided by our community enablement beliefs. Our effort to foster digital inclusion globally is one example of how Cisco is working to combat systemic inequality.
UN SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities Cisco understands that material waste reduction and pollution prevention are critical to making communities inclusive, safe, and sustainable.
UN SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production Cisco is focused on integrating sustainability across our business and throughout the product lifecycle, with a process rooted in principles of circular design that supports the goal of responsible consumption and production.
UN SDG 13: Climate action Cisco has set near- and long-term science-based targets to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our value chain by 2040 as a key component of our environmental strategy and goals.
UN SDG 14: Life below water Cisco is working to reduce material waste in our supply chain and improve product packaging, and is a signatory to the UNGC Sustainable Ocean Principles.
UN SDG 15: Life on land Cisco understands that protecting biodiversity is critical for a sustainable planet and future. Our partnership with Connected Conservation is one of the ways we work to protect life on land.
UN SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions Cisco helps promote peace, justice, and strong institutions through solutions built on a foundation of security, privacy, and trust, and our commitment to anti-corruption and bribery.
UN SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals Cisco partners with organizations around the world, helping to solve global problems through cash grants, technology, and shared expertise.