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
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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
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If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
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Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
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Hundreds of mines globally are projected to close in the coming years, impacting communities, Indigenous Peoples, environments, governments and economies.
The ICMM says closure is one of the most significant challenges facing the industry.
Demand for critical minerals is growing, as the world shifts towards renewable energy production, and some mines may have shorter lifespans.
We are committed to closing mines safely and responsibly, which includes working with local communities to develop programs and investments that benefit them after we finish mining.
Closing mines responsibly and effectively requires many fields of expertise. So to achieve our vision, we need all teams in our business to understand and plan for responsible closure right from the beginning of our operations.
To further develop our current teams and train the next generations of Closure advocates, we’re collaborating with academia, industry, government organisations and First Nations and Indigenous Peoples to create a comprehensive tertiary education program – the Leadership in Sustainable Mine Closure Program.
Interconnected units cover the social, regulatory, environmental, financial and technical elements of closure. On completion of the unit, learners will earn university-recognised certificates and receive academic credit (subject to the university’s requirements).
Beena, our Principal Advisor, Closure Strategy and Optimisation, says this program has global relevance and is designed to elevate positive closure outcomes.
“We have partnered with 2 renowned universities, University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver and Curtin University in Western Australia to leverage their educational best practice, as well as Ernst & Young (EY), to develop the program,” Beena says.
“This means the courses incorporate global perspectives and knowledge, best practice frameworks and learnings on closure from both hemispheres, shared by internationally recognised mine closure professionals, academia and researchers.
“Closure is incredibly multifaceted and multidisciplinary, so the myriad perspectives and experience are invaluable. Ideally, we all need to start embedding ‘closure thinking’ and operating with the end and post-mining land use in mind to inform our daily work and decision making.
“Integrating closure in the early stages of mine development, operations and core business practices can decrease risks and provide significant value for our business, the mining industry and enhance ESG outcomes.”
Last year, around 30 Rio Tinto employees and 5 EY employees from 10 different countries were invited to participate in the pilot of the first unit, “New Perspectives on Mine Closure”, delivered by UBC.
“I really appreciated the opportunity to connect with mining, rehabilitation and closure professionals from around the world.
“Participating in the online forums and face-to-face virtual discussions, I was able to share my own learnings and hear about the experiences of others.
We have a lot to learn from each other.”
“The assessments encouraged us to explore alternative avenues for open and transparent engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders.
“I would recommend the course to anyone who has an interest in the delivery of effective, sustainable mine closure outcomes – no matter what their role.”
Paul Mitchell, EY Global Mining & Metals Leader, agrees.
“This international collaboration reaffirms the importance of considering mine closure impacts throughout the mining lifecycle. Alongside our partners, EY is committed to driving positive change and supporting solutions for these complex challenges.”
Zane Hughes, Manager in Training and Capacity Building within the Indigenous Stewardship, Biodiversity and Environment Group at Curtin University, emphasises the value that the industry-academic partnership provides.
“Developing a capable and responsive workforce, who can deliver sustainable outcomes in a multidisciplinary context, will be increasingly key to the success of closure objectives,” he says.
“This program creates a responsive curriculum and learning pathway. It brings together industry needs and expertise, community expectations and education specialists to offer robust yet practical upskilling.”
“The industry needs to learn to embed closure into all its operations. It’s not just a job for the Closure team.
“I support Rio Tinto’s Minerals assets with closure strategy, planning and cost estimate updates.
“We also promote progressive rehabilitation and innovation to deliver optimal outcomes across environmental, social and financial objectives.
Closure is about managing a company’s legacy and leveraging opportunities.”
“Critical minerals mines will have generally shorter lifespans. As these minerals increasingly underpin our low-carbon future, it will be essential for closure practices to constantly evolve. And we can be part of that evolution.
“This course will make you appreciate just how multidisciplinary closure needs to be – not just through the study materials, but also the exchange of ideas with your cohort classmates.”
Clara Araujo, a program manager for the initiative at UBC, also notes the growing awareness of mine closure as an issue among all stakeholders.
“Expectations from society and rightsholders for responsible closure are increasing,” she says.
“Through this program, we believe we can promote an industry that is focused on successful, ethical, sustainable and responsible closure choices.”
“Throughout my career I have held various roles focused on the environmental and social aspects of mine closure.
“The most valuable aspect of the course for me was the first-person topical examples and contributions from a cross-section of professionals.
“As an industry, we need to increase our understanding of sustainable mine closure across diverse operational and functional roles. This will help us better integrate closure planning from day one.
“The course uses scenario-based learning very effectively, and I found the financial concepts module of the course particularly beneficial.
It was easy to apply our discussions and theory to the real world.”
“For people curious to learn more about closure, this course provides an excellent overview that improves understanding of the many roles that contribute to influencing positive closure outcomes within the mining industry.”
UBC is now running the first, fully online course, through pre-recorded and interactive sessions. They have a number of intakes planned for 2024, and the team are also developing further courses that both UBC and Curtin will offer.
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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.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
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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