Rio Tinto is committed to making its operations the catalyst for economic growth.

This implies an understanding of the broader impacts, benefits and opportunities that mining has on local and regional economies. We also need to understand the geographical pattern and implications of the distribution of benefits and opportunities. Rio Tinto is undertaking research into gaining a deeper understanding of the distribution of value within the community.

An additional challenge is to test our understanding and implement targeted programmes and activities that lead to best practice and wider application in the Group. Ultimately, our aim is to find the best ways of maximising the economic opportunities flowing from our operations to the economy, in order to use the operations to leverage economic activities that are sustainable long after the mines close down.