Cisco's CSR report signals heightened conflict minerals scrutiny

Networking giant Cisco details its plans to extend its corporate sustainability initiatives throughout its supply chain while 2012, with a particular focus on conflict minerals.

Cisco’s pledge to heighten its focus on supply chain issues echoes that of Microsoft, which mentions it as a priority in the “Microsoft 2011 Citizenship Report.” The company writes: “To enhance our commitment to working responsibly, in FY2012 we are conducting an indepth review to assess and furthermore strengthen our work to promote responsible business practices across our supply chain.”

Heather Clancy has written for United Press International, ZDNet, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times. She holds a degree from McGill University. She is based in New Jersey.

My daily writing is focused on looking for topics for my blogs, GreenTech Pastures and Business Brains. I as well write often about emerging innovation trends just as mobile computing, unified communications and cloud computing. Occasionally, I will pop up at an industry conference in some sort of speaking capacity. In cases where a speaking engagement involves a sponsor that may be covered in this blog, that fact will be disclosed in coverage as the case may be.

My corporate writing work broadly speaking consists of crafting innovation white papers about some aspect of research. After all that my commentary mentions a company for which I have provided consulting advice, I will disclose that fact. Nevertheless, there is no connection between these projects and the topics that I'm covering in my blog.