Performance
Biodiversity
The potential for impact on biodiversity makes our projects potentially sensitive for regulators, local communities, investors, non government organisations and employees. Rio Tinto's long term success depends on our ability to understand and manage these issues. Our biodiversity strategy was launched in 2004 to provide a framework to do this. A key aspect of the strategy is our goal to have a "net positive impact" (NPI) on biodiversity.
To achieve NPI we first need to reduce our impacts on biodiversity values through avoidance, minimisation and rehabilitation. We then aim to achieve a positive impact through the use of biodiversity offsets and additional conservation actions. We continue to work with our conservation partners to refine our understanding and improve implementation of the strategy. Rio Tinto's approach to management of the littoral (coastal) forests in Madagascar is regarded as leading practice.
At the IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, during October 2008 we communicated the advances we have made since we launched our biodiversity strategy. In particular, a series of tools and methodologies have been developed including a methodology for assessing the biodiversity values of Rio Tinto's landholding. During 2008, 25 per cent of the operations assessed ranked as having very high biodiversity values and 15 per cent ranked with high values. This understanding will enable resources and action planning assistance to be given to our highest priority sites. Biodiversity value assessments for Rio Tinto Alcan sites will be undertaken in 2009.
In 2008 we implemented biodiversity action plans at seven locations in Australia, southern Africa, Madagascar and South America. Biodiversity action planning will continue through 2009 and 2010 at sites that have been ranked as having very high and high biodiversity values.
The development of land use management plans, which incorporate biodiversity management and conservation, commenced in mid 2008. This will complete the biodiversity profile mapping across the Rio Tinto Group.
