Our approach

Goals & targets

We believe it is important to set targets across a range of key sustainable development metrics so that we can continually drive performance improvement and manage risk.

Our targets are designed using the following principles:

They focus on internal performance, while considering external drivers.
They must be relevant to the nature of our business.
They need to be measurable and transparent, consistent with other Rio Tinto objectives.
They must include a degree of stretch, while being realistically achievable with appropriate management.

Our board endorses our sustainable development targets and receives regular updates on our progress and the key issues affecting performance.

Target or goal	Result	Comment
Our safety goal is zero injuries and zero fatalities. Progress is measured through our all injury frequency rate (AIFR) per 200,000 hours worked.	^	18 per cent reduction in our all injury frequency rate compared with 2009.
Thirty per cent reduction in the rate of new cases of occupational illness (per 10,000 employees) between 2008 and 2013.	^	56 per cent reduction in the rate of new cases of occupational illness compared with 2008.
Ten per cent reduction in rate of employees (per 10,000 employees) exposed to a noise environment of more than 85 decibels between 2008 and 2013.	v	0.3 per cent increase in the rate of employees exposed to an eight hour noise dose of more than 85 decibels compared with 2008.
Six per cent reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions intensity between 2008 and 2013. We are also targeting a further four per cent reduction by 2015, to deliver an overall ten per cent reduction.	^	3.7 per cent reduction in our total greenhouse gas emissions intensity compared with 2008.
Six per cent reduction in freshwater used per tonne of product between 2008 and 2013.	v	2.3 per cent increase in our freshwater use per tonne of product compared with 2008.
Our diversity goal is to employ people based on job requirements that represent the diversity of our surrounding communities. We are targeting: Women to represent 20 per cent of our senior management by 2015. Women to represent 40 per cent of our 2015 graduate intake. 15 per cent of our 2015 graduate intake to be nationals from regions where we are developing new businesses.	-	These are new targets. Women represented 14 per cent of our senior management in 2010. Women represented 27 per cent of our 2010 graduate intake. Eight per cent of our 2010 graduate intake were nationals from regions where we are developing new businesses.
All operations to have in place locally appropriate, publicly reported social performance indicators that demonstrate a positive contribution to the economic development of the communities and regions where we work, consistent with the Millennium Development Goals by 2013.	-	We collected data for the first time in 2010. 20 per cent of our operations has locally appropriate, publicly reported social performance indicators in place in 2010.

^ Improving performance v Declining performance - New target