Our approach

Glossary

Term	Definition
Sustainable development	Sustainable development commonly defined as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." 1 Rio Tinto has committed that its businesses, projects, operations and products should contribute constructively to the global transition to sustainable development in The way we work. 1 Our Common Future, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Published as Annex to General Assembly document A/42/427, Development and International Co-operation: Environment August 2, 1987. Available at: http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm
Greenfield exploration	Exploration which aims to establish completely new operating business units, involving geographic or commodity diversification away from existing Group operations.
Brownfield exploration	Exploration is directed at sustaining or growing the existing Group business units. With processing infrastructure already in place, capital expenditure requirements for developing brownfield orebodies are usually lower than in a greenfield setting.
Tier 1 resources	Large, low cost resources that are profitable at all parts of the natural price cycle and deliver a sustainable competitive advantage.
Life cycle assessment (LCA)	An analytical procedure to compile and evaluate all environmental inputs and outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product throughout its life. The LCA technical methods are in the ISO 14040 series.
Environmental product declarations	Declarations that provide environmental data and information on a variety of measures or indicators associated with a product (for example primary energy use, waste generated, emissions to air etc). This includes information on life cycle attributes of the product and/or information on management practices.
Key products	Products from which major business revenue is obtained (>10% of net revenue per product).
Cradle to gate	A life cycle assessment that addresses the complete life cycle of the product, but where the scope of the LCA is restricted to those activities where the business has management control (ie activities up to when the product is sold to the customer).
Extends beyond the gate	A life cycle assessment that addresses the complete life cycle of the product, and where the scope of the life cycle assessment includes activities beyond the management influence of the business.
Partial life cycle assessment	An analytical procedure to compile and evaluate the environmental inputs and outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product where the scope has been limited to address a specific environmental impact (for example greenhouse gases or ecotoxicity).
Commodity based life cycle assessment	A life cycle assessment that has been compiled by an industry association or organisation for a generic product or based on publicly available information.
Regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)	Is the regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on 1 June 2007 to streamline and improve the former legislative framework on chemicals of the European Union. REACH places greater responsibility on industry to manage the risks that chemicals may pose to human health and the environment.
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)	Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals addresses classification of chemicals by types of hazard and proposes harmonised hazard communication elements, including labels and safety data sheets. It aims at ensuring that information on physical hazards and toxicity from chemicals is available in order to enhance the protection of human health and the environment during the handling, transport and use of these chemicals.
Financial provision	An allocation of funds to allow for a future financial contingency
Stakeholder	A person, group, organisation or system who affects or can be affected by an organisation's actions
GRI	The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provides the generally accepted framework for reporting on an organisation's economic, environmental and social performance. The framework contains general and sector specific content that has been agreed by a wide range of stakeholders.
GRI application level A+	GRI reports intended to qualify for application level A+ must contain the following: • All GRI G3 profile disclosures; • Management approach disclosures for each indicator category; • A response to each core G3 and sector supplement indicator with due regard to the materiality principle by either a) reporting on the indicator, or b) explaining the reason for its omission; and • External assurance on the report. For a report to be recognised as GRI based, self declaration of a level is required.