Cisco Systems·Electronics / Hardware·San Jose, California, United States·Founded 1984·Last verified 31 May 2026
46
out of 100
Making progressPending ReviewMixed evidence· 15 src

Cisco Systems scores 46/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment — scored from public data only, no company payment can change a number. Last verified May 2026.

That places Cisco Systems joint 145th of 596 companies scored, and 7th of 25 in Electronics / Hardware.

Cisco has achieved genuine absolute emissions reductions across all scopes with SBTi-validated net-zero 2040 targets and 96–100% renewable electricity. Supply chain engagement and circular design gains are measurable. The core weakness: total emissions remain massive (>17M tonnes annually) driven by product use-phase energy, and nature impact quantification is missing despite supply chain mining exposure.

Is this your company?

This score is built from public data only. If your practice is stronger than your disclosure, submit evidence for review — or challenge any question, free.

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The calculation

How is Cisco Systems's SINK score calculated?

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Electronics / Hardware sector ceiling.
40 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
76 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 40) + (0.7 × 76) = 65.2
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.7
Final score
Rounded. Making progress.
46 / 100
The ten questions

What is Cisco Systems doing well, and where does it fall short?

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Energy Source (9/10, 9/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Water Impact (5/10, 6/10).

Where the evidence comes from

What evidence is Cisco Systems's score based on?

15 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Self-reported
Cisco Environmental Strategy Hub
Ongoing
Q1
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Tracenable GHG Emissions Database — Cisco Systems
Ongoing
Q1Q3
View →
[3]Self-reported
Cisco Scope 3 GHG Emissions Hub
Ongoing
Q2
View →
[4]Self-reported
Cisco Supply Chain Stewardship
Ongoing
Q2Q7
View →
[5]Self-reported
Cisco Clean Energy Strategy
Ongoing
Q3
View →
[6]Self-reported
Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub — Energy and Sustainability
Ongoing
Q4
View →
[7]Self-reported
Cisco Blog: Renewable Energy Strategy with New PPA in Europe
Unknown
Q4
View →
[8]Self-reported
Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub — Resilient Ecosystems
Ongoing
Q5Q7
View →
[9]Third-party verified
Cisco Foundation Impact Report 2024
2024
Q5
View →
[10]Self-reported
Cisco Circular Transformation Hub
Ongoing
Q6
View →
[11]Self-reported
Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub — Main
Ongoing
Q9
View →
[12]Self-reported
Cisco 2024 GRI Standards Index
2024
Q9
View →
[13]Self-reported
Cisco Net-Zero 2040 Goal
2022
Q8
View →
[14]Self-reported
Cisco Environmental Compliance
Ongoing
Q10
View →
[15]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap Cisco Corporate Lobbying Profile
Ongoing
Q10
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Cisco Systems in context

How does Cisco Systems compare with other electronics / hardware companies?

Where Cisco Systems sits among electronics / hardware peers.

Among the 25 major electronics / hardware brands we've scored, Cisco Systems sits 7th of 25.

7/25
Cisco Systems's rank
40
Industry average
25
Industry low
64
Industry high
How this score has moved

Has Cisco Systems's score changed?

today

Score history begins 4 April 2026.

As Cisco Systems's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

Has Cisco Systems's score been challenged?

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems is a multinational networking hardware and telecommunications infrastructure company headquartered in San Jose. Founded in 1984, it designs routers, switches, and software platforms for enterprise and service-provider networks. With 86,200 employees and $56.7B FY2025 revenue, Cisco is among the largest IT infrastructure vendors globally.

Founded
1984
Headquarters
San Jose, California, United States
Employees
~90,000
Annual revenue
$56.7B (FY2025)
Company website ↗
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