The partnership in context

Energy Resources of Australia Birdwatch Event at Pilbara Iron, Australia Zoom In

The value of the planet's remaining biodiversity resources continues to increase, as human pressures modify habitats and escalate extinction rates. The management of the environment is a complex issue for which we are all responsible and without sufficiently attending to the environment we risk compromising our world for ourselves and future generations.

In 1996 Rio Tinto carried out an internal review of strategic issues that might affect the Group’s business prospects in the medium to long term. This review was prompted by recognition that, while operating within the law, the mining industry was collectively failing to meet some expectations of society. Legislation is a lagging indicator of society’s expectations, so even full legal compliance falls short of what some key sectors of society expect responsible businesses to achieve.

Biodiversity was one of the strategic issues identified in the 1996 review. Society’s expectations of the mining industry include reducing the footprint of its activities so that the conservation of habitats and species is compromised as little as possible, while enhancing opportunities for community development and maintaining cultural and heritage values.

In late 2003, Rio Tinto further strengthened its commitment to biodiversity with the development of a Biodiversity Strategy, as well as a position statement, a set of biodiversity principles and a technical guidance document. This strategy was published and then launched in late 2004. It helps to consolidate the company’s response to biodiversity at a global level by building on the work of the Global Mining Initiative and linking together initiatives such as Rio Tinto’s role in the ICMM’s (International Council on Mining and Metals) work on biodiversity and its partnerships with some of the world’s leading conservation NGOs.

To deliver on these commitments, it will be necessary for Rio Tinto to demonstrate convincingly that its actions have positive effects on biodiversity conservation that not only balance but are accepted to outweigh the inevitable negative effects of the physical disturbance and land use changes associated with mining. Rio Tinto aims to achieve this by reducing impacts and capitalising on conservation opportunities.

The BirdLife International – Rio Tinto partnership has been developed as a means of addressing these critical environmental and biodiversity issues. As a cross-sector partnership, the programme provides a mechanism for change, mobilises joint resources and increases awareness of key issues.  BirdLife International has positively advocated the need for a corporate biodiversity strategy since the outset of its relationship with Rio Tinto, and welcomes the development and implementation of such an approach. The programme is now actively developing practical approaches that can assist Rio Tinto business units to implement the global strategy locally. Both organisations believe that they will achieve more through strategic partnership than through working in opposition or isolation.