Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Purpose & Values
The drive for innovation and continuous improvement is at the heart of our purpose
Business Strategy
Climate change is at the heart of our business strategy
Innovation
Finding better ways to do things is in our DNA
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
Iron ore is the primary raw material used to make steel
7 things the world will need for a low-carbon future
Wind, sun and water – what else do you need to make renewable energy work?
Sustainability – the expectation, not the exception
Shaping our aluminium product offering to meet demand for greener metals
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Look inside a mine of the future
Our most intelligent mine yet is pioneering new mining technologies
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Sustainability Reporting 2023
As temporary custodians of the land where we operate, we are entrusted with accessing the world’s essential materials and making them available for society’s use
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Tailings
We’ve launched a new interactive map of our tailings facilities
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Reports 2023
Download our 2023 Annual Report, Climate Change Report, Sustainability Fact Book and Taxes Paid Report
Get the latest news, stories and updates
Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
A new way to decarbonise steel
Tackling a global challenge
Tackling it all
A short documentary series with the Queensland Reds is inspiring working women everywhere
Discover more about life at Rio Tinto
Graduates and students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
Available jobs
Join our team
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA. Right across the business, we are finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs while reducing our carbon footprint, developing technologies needed to make net zero a reality, and continuing to support our people and the communities where we live and work.
In 2023, we continued developing BioIron™, which has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 95% during steelmaking.
BioIron™ uses raw biomass produced from agricultural by-products (instead of metallurgical coal) and microwave energy, to convert Pilbara iron ore to metallic iron during steel making. It also uses approximately 65% less electricity during steel making when compared to other green hydrogen technologies.
We have proved BioIron™ works on a small scale through a successful collaboration with the University of Nottingham and Metso Corporation. Now we have secured a site to continue testing on a larger scale, and are progressing regulatory approvals for the BioIron™ Continuous Pilot Plant which will have the capacity of one tonne per hour.
In 2023, we commenced cultural immersion secondments with Jawun™, a non-profit partnership program with Indigenous organisations and communities across Australia.
Every year, 24 of our people will contribute their skills to support Aboriginal economic development as part of the program, while also learning about Aboriginal culture and history. This 2-way learning opportunity has already deepened our cultural understanding and contributes to a more culturally aware workplace.
“You have an opportunity to provide back to an Indigenous organisation, and in return you get to explore this beautiful Country and learn a lot of things from the local Indigenous Peoples.” Travis Creed, Superintendent Capability Development.
In 2023, we established an Innovation Advisory Committee, bringing together experts in innovation and research and development.
The Committee is helping us accelerate our innovation portfolio and offers guidance on emerging technologies in areas such as health and safety, environmental, social and governance, growth, carbon abatement and productivity.
To help us find innovative ways to provide the materials the world needs for the energy transition, we have also committed $150 million over 10 years to create a Centre for Future Materials led by Imperial College London.
Our Boron operation in California has fully transitioned their heavy machinery from fossil diesel to renewable diesel.
We expect this to reduce our CO2 equivalent by up to 45,000 tonnes per year, similar to eliminating the emissions of 9,600 cars1.
In the first quarter of 2024, we will begin to replace our entire fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel at our Kennecott copper operation in Utah. It will reduce emissions by around 495,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, similar to eliminating the emissions of more than 107,000 cars.
1 Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | US EPA
We have formed a joint venture with Giampaolo Group to purchase a 50% stake in Matalco. Aluminium is an essential metal needed to decarbonise, but its production requires vast amounts of electricity and accounts for about 3% of the world’s CO2.
The partnership will help us provide a broader range of high-quality and low-carbon, primary, recycled, and blended aluminium products, at a time when customers are looking for solutions to lower their carbon footprint.
This move follows other recent investments in our aluminium business in North America, including $1.1 billion to expand the AP60 smelter equipped with low-carbon technology, $29 million to establish a recycling facility at Arvida, C$135 million to install a new alumina conveyor at Kitimat, and $188 million to increase our capacity to cast value-added products at the Alma smelter.
Finding better ways speaks to our drive for both innovation and continuous improvement, while also emphasising how solutions are delivered – with impeccable ESG performance. We are striving for new ways to do things, and deeper partnerships to solve problems and to create win-win opportunities. There are already hundreds of examples of how we are doing this. It applies to big, meaningful innovation and smaller everyday progress.”
- Jakob Stausholm, Chief Executive
We are implementing lessons from our own pockets of excellence. We continue to see improved production efficiency, safety and engagement at the sites where we have deployed our Safe Production System (SPS).
25% improvement in AIFR in the second half of 2023 at SPS sites, when compared to the first half
5Mt year-on-year production uplift at Pilbara iron ore sites, attributable to SPS
90% record performance of concentrator effective utilisation at Kennecott across Q3 and Q4
8% year-on-year increase in casting operating time at Grande Baie (excluding shutdowns)
34% decreased variability in processing operating time year-on-year at Hope Downs
32% year-on-year improvement in AIFR at Iron Ore Company of Canada
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With the exception of the use of cookies, Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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