Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
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
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Enabling ESG transparency
Our START™ initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of Rio Tinto materials.
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Reports 2024
Download our 2024 suite of reports, including our 2024 Taxes and Royalties Paid Report, detailing $8.4 billion of taxes and royalties paid globally during the year
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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
Refuelling the mining industry
How can we power the world’s biggest machines with new fuel solutions?
Forging a low-carbon future
How we're working to decarbonise iron ore and steel
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
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Many of the challenges that lie ahead – from decarbonising our operations to improving productivity – will need new technologies and approaches, some of which haven’t yet been developed.
Nurturing an innovative culture will be essential to helping us meet these challenges head-on. This is the idea behind Pioneering Pitch, our global programme designed to capture our employees’ creative ideas to solve business problems.
Held annually, each Pioneering Pitch round is assessed by an expert panel assembled from across the business against criteria including scalability, ability to generate value and what lessons can be shared with the wider business. We provide up to $250,000 per idea in seed funding to develop the most innovative pitches and connect the pitchers with experts from around the business, helping them make their idea a reality.
Since it began in 2017, we have invested over $8 million across 47 projects on topics ranging from exploration to the environment.
Submissions
Projects funded
Projects completed
Invested
Our Pioneer Portal gives external organisations – from start-ups and entrepreneurs through to established businesses – a platform to be heard and potentially deliver real value to our business. We are seeking original ideas – big or small, from the unproven to those ready to deploy.
If you have an idea that could help us work smarter and more sustainably, pitch it through our Pioneer Portal.
Cast houses produce semi-fabricated aluminium products (ingots) that are sold to our customers worldwide for the fabrication of automotive parts, and for building and construction applications. The process uses a mould with cooling water, extracting heat from the molten aluminium alloy, to control the solidification process. The first minutes in the casting process are critical to ensuring the quality of ingots. If defects or cracks are formed, the product is rejected, and the scrap material must be remelted and processed again.
Typically, the process is managed manually and is very costly. Through Pioneering Pitch, employees proposed developing a control process that will automatically measure the temperature of ingots and adjust the cooling water to maintain temperature within the required range – unique in the aluminium industry.
The process, which is being implemented at our Kitimat smelter in British Columbia, Canada, has delivered a significant increase in the quality of ingots produced, reduced losses, and helped accelerate the development of new, more complex products.