Biodiversity Strategic partnerships
Rio Tinto recognises that genuine and professional engagement with our stakeholders is a critical element of successful business practice. Strategic partnerships are one way that enables, us to have ongoing engagement with community and NGO organisations to identify and address areas of common interest. By working in partnership, Rio Tinto is better able to understand what society's expectations of us are, while also improving our performance across a range of issues. Partnerships also enable Rio Tinto to implement programmes and projects to address issues that we would be unable to address on our own.
Rio Tinto's biodiversity partnership programme has been a catalyst for the development of the Rio Tinto strategy to address issues around biodiversity. Recognising that biodiversity is an issue we cannot address on our own, Rio Tinto first began discussions with a wide range of environmental and conservation NGOs in 1996. Initially, the objective was to better understand biodiversity issues from society's perspective in order to prioritise Rio Tinto's efforts. As as we started to work together, both Rio Tinto and our partners learnt that very different organisations can find common goals and provide leadership in biodiversity management by pooling their skills and expertise. Areas of mutual interest around biodiversity were soon identified as well as a willingness to work together in addressing these issues within the framework of a partnership. At the same time as partnership programmes were being developed and implemented, Rio Tinto recognised the need for a Group wide strategy to enable our businesses to manage biodiversity in the long term.
Following the development of the strategy Rio Tinto's partners have been helping in the Group's implementation of the strategy. The biodiversity partners are also playing a key role in progressing our understanding of key biodiversity conservation issues such as performance measurement, the appropriate use of offsets, and the valuing and role of ecosystem services.
The strength and depth of partnership relationships has allowed collaboration and sharing of information in ways that were not previously contemplated. By partnering with environmental and conservation NGOs, Rio Tinto seeks specialist skills and expertise on biodiversity and conservation issues; access to broader networks of conservationists and scientists; and outside recognition of its commitment to environmental stewardship and biodiversity management.
Rio Tinto contributes to the partnerships through the provision of financial resources, access to lands, and the skills and expertise of our staff including environmental, pastoral lease, community relations, indigenous training and employment, science and technology managers.
Partnership development is not a static process and Rio Tinto is constantly engaging with various biodiversity NGOs with the aim of exploring and developing new relationships. Currently Rio Tinto's biodiversity partners include the Australian Museum, BirdLife International, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Earthwatch, the Eden Project, Fauna and Flora International, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Conservation International.
Back to top