Performance
Water
Water is a resource with social, environmental and economic value at both the local and global level. Access to water resources is a key business risk that we manage using leading practices.
We have a long term approach to water management that aims to improve our performance, recognise the value of water, and work with others to contribute to sustainable water management. We have had a water strategy since 2005 which provides a framework for addressing water related business risk and improving performance. This year the World Economic Forum invited Rio Tinto to join its Project Board for a major water initiative from 2008-2010. Rio Tinto's participation at the forum is a unique opportunity to participate at a leadership level in the water debate, to learn from other leading companies about their successful approaches, and to enable others to recognise the good work we have already undertaken on water management.
We continue to focus on ways to minimise the amount of water we remove from the environment, to reuse it whenever we can, and to return it to the environment meeting regulatory limits.
In 2008 fresh water withdrawal increased 27 per cent to 521 billion litres. The acquisition of Alcan in 2007 contributed the majority of this increase.
At the end of the 2003-2008 target period, we did not meet the targeted ten per cent reduction in fresh water withdrawal per tonne of product, achieving a 6.3 per cent reduction (excluding former Alcan operations). Since 2003, about 30 per cent of our operations have improved their freshwater withdrawal efficiency through plant optimisation projects focused on increasing production throughput, water efficient processing and increasing use of recycle water. However, these improvements were offset by extreme climatic events in eastern Australia where flooding necessitated impoundment of large volumes of freshwater for later use and treatment. Additionally, iron ore expansion and development activities in Western Australia resulted in increased mining below the water table that required additional dewatering.
We promote the development of business level water strategies aligned with the Rio Tinto water strategy. Water management support is also being provided to new projects to ensure that efficient practices are in place at mine commencement. Water risk reviews were carried out at four new projects in 2008, with further support planned for 2009.
Rio Tinto is also engaging with government on emerging water policy, for example, in Australia we chair a water working group as part of the Minerals Council of Australia. We also engage on key water initiatives with organisations committed to sustainable water management, such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
