One of the biggest long term challenges facing the world is that of making a successful transition to sustainable development, defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

Within the next half century the population of the world will increase to more than eight billion people. Human impacts on the world we live in will grow accordingly and, with them, public concern about those effects. There will be a greater demand for goods and services of all kinds. Society will need to find ways to meet these needs and deliver rising real incomes to perhaps twice today's population without damaging the ecological foundations of the economy.

The mining industry has a distinctive contribution to make in addressing this challenge. But in order to fully realise this contribution, it must continue to work with other sectors of society and further refine the part it can play in society's transition to sustainable development. This will also be essential if the industry is to retain its licence to operate and access to mineral resources.

How can the mining industry best contribute to sustainable development?

What are Rio Tinto's objectives?

What are our commitments?

What was the Global Mining Initiative?

How are we responding to the recommendations from the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Report?

The "Precautionary principle"