The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a scientific amenity and educational organisation devoted to increasing knowledge and public understanding of plant diversity.

The partnership between Rio Tinto and the Royal Botanic Gardens was established in 2001, and aims to enhance and achieve improved environmental management through practical scientific work and increased awareness of biodiversity and conservation within the context of sustainable development.

Programmes of activity within this partnership include:

• The study and documentation of flora at Mount Jaya, west Papua.
• Completion of the flora of the Zambezi basin.
• Support for the work of Plantas do Nordeste, an NGO established by Kew for the conservation and management of the semi-arid north eastern region of Brazil. The programme aims to promote the sustainable use of the plants of the region for the benefit of local communities
• Training of scientists and conservationists from developing countries in plant conservation and botanical resource management.
• Collaboration, including the provision of logistical support, between Rio Tinto exploration teams and the Millennium Seedbank collections in Chile and Madagascar.