Partnership with Rio Tinto

In 2001, BirdLife International and Rio Tinto formed a global partnership to achieve mutually held goals of biodiversity conservation. In 2004, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Bangkok, Rio Tinto launched their corporate commitment to have a ‘Net Positive Impact (NPI)’ on biodiversity; a key goal for the Partnership is to deliver significant, measurable contributions towards this commitment.

BirdLife’s scientific expertise and global biodiversity databases enable Rio Tinto to identify global conservation priorities and sites that present both risks and opportunities to Rio Tinto operations. Furthermore, through its Global Partnership and grassroots networks, BirdLife is well positioned to identify and develop local collaborative conservation initiatives between Rio Tinto business units and local partners.

The partnership achieves biodiversity conservation through several activities:

Enabling realistic, measurable contributions to Rio Tinto’s corporate commitment to a Net Positive Impact (NPI) on biodiversity
Implementation of collaborative conservation projects relevant to mining operations and to BirdLife Partners.
Promotion of an interest in birds as a gateway to wider environmental awareness through annual birdwatch events
Development and implementation of a group-wide biodiversity strategy among Rio Tinto business units.
Global outreach to advance the debate on corporate responsibility through demonstration of the partnership’s achievements.

Partnership Outcomes

Additional $2 million leveraged funding raised for conservation
5 IBAs designated in Australia, Madagascar, and the USA with a total area of over 90,000 Ha
A number of Local Conservation Groups created
Livelihoods created through Zululand Birding Route, increased average income of guides by 100 times
40,000 participants in 440 birdwatch events bringing together communities and business units