The stakeholder approach
Rio Tinto acknowledges responsibility to contribute to sustainable development. This requires the company to have a clear understanding of relevant opportunities where it can make a positive contribution. Where appropriate, this includes contribution through assumption of leadership. Our stakeholder engagement works in parallel with our consultation with local communities and considers the wider, not just neighboring, communities with which we interact.
In particular, the issues which our stakeholders indicate to be of greatest importance are:
- Occupational health and safety
- Economic and social sustainability
- Environmental stewardship
- Governance and ethics
- Indigenous peoples
- Climate change
We believe active civil society engagement - the stakeholder approach - is fundamental to the success of our business. Such significant issues cannot be tackled by Rio Tinto alone. Working in partnership with others in civil society means we can tackle problems and seek solutions acceptable to all parties. Skills and resources can be pooled to achieve outcomes none of us could achieve on our own.
Cross sector engagement takes many forms. These include relations with local organisations; the establishment of trusts and foundations operating at local, regional or national level; and global partnerships with NGOs and academic organisations.
Rio Tinto also undertakes stakeholder research around the world. This research helps us to validate the focus of our programmes and to track the emergence of stakeholder concerns.
Photo: Jeremy Holden / Fauna and Flora International
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