Environmental monitoring at Kennecott copper mine

Environment and nature

We recognise that our operations have an inherent impact on nature, both directly and indirectly, and we’re committed to contributing to the global shift toward a nature positive future.

Achieving our mission to be the most valued metals and mining business relies on the responsible stewardship of shared natural resources. Sustainable success is driven by fostering collaboration and measuring performance outcomes for nature and society. Our pathway for progressing our nature and environment commitments is outlined within our Nature Framework, which outlines the practices and actions that underpin our efforts to contribute to a nature positive future. 

What does nature positive mean? At its most fundamental level, nature positive means systemically halting and reversing human-induced damage to natural ecosystems so that the natural world moves into a state of recovery.

Our nature framework

Ambition

Meaningfully contribute to a nature positive future through integrated environmental management practices.

Commitments

Deliver on our commitments for nature - including our Environment Standard and the ICMM Nature Position Statement.

Risk

Enhance our understanding and management of material environment business risks across our operations and value chain.

Assurance

Increase stakeholder confidence in performance and reporting through internal and external assurance, including our value chain.

Targets

Site Improvement Plans that focus our efforts on asset-specific continuous improvement programs for nature.

Disclosures

Enhance transparency of environmental management and performance information over time.

  • Governance
  • Commitments
  • Risk and assurance

Business decisions that appropriately consider sustainability and social licence can contribute to the creation of long-term value. 

Our Executive Committee and Board have overall responsibility for, and oversight of, environmental management and performance through our Audit and Risk and Sustainability Committees, including a principal environment risk that we track at a Group level. Under our new operating model, Product Groups are responsible for delivering commodity-driven strategies, under a common Management Operating System (MOS). The shift to a nature framework supports this approach by connecting our Environment standard, risk processes, site-level plans, assurance and disclosures across water, land, and biodiversity to deliver environmental outcomes.

We take a long-term view of our responsibilities and seek to manage the risks and impacts of our activities from exploration and project inception through closure and beyond. As stewards of natural resources, we recognise the trust placed in us. We see value in responsibly managing nature-related risks to support better environmental outcomes.

Our commitment to the ICMM Nature Position Statement and Water Position Statement informs our actions and accountabilities to deliver the desired environmental, social and economic outcomes for the business.  

As part of our role as a reliable and respectful partner, and to continue delivering long-term value to local economies, natural environments and shareholders, we strive to maintain compliance with local regulations, permits, licenses, agreements, or other applicable commitments (e.g. International Finance Corporation Performance Standards). Our license to operate and grow depends on meeting relevant regulatory requirements of our host countries and responding to non-compliances accordingly across our managed operations. 

In January 2024, we shared our support for the ICMM’s Nature Position Statement. This position sets out ICMM members’ approach to contributing to a nature positive future, guided by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and its associated 2030 targets. ICMM’s existing commitments are in line with the United Nation’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). We report progress against the commitments outlined in the Nature Position Statement. As a member of ICMM and signatory of the Nature Position Statement, our commitments include the following:

  • We contribute to the global nature positive goal of “halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 from a 2020 baseline”. 
  • New developments or expansions do not explore or extract resources within the boundaries of UNESCO World Heritage sites. All reasonable steps will be taken to ensure future operations adjacent to World Heritage sites are not incompatible with the outstanding universal value for which these sites are listed and do not put the integrity of these sites at risk. 
  • We respect legally designated protected areas and ensure any new operations or changes to existing operations are not incompatible with the objectives for which the protected areas were established. 
  • We do not undertake deep-sea mining, and believe it should not take place unless comprehensive scientific research refutes currently held evidence that it will create significant environmental and socioeconomic implications. 

We take a systematic, adaptable approach to managing environment and nature risks, aiming to ensure our operations remain resilient and responsible in a changing world.   

We manage environment risks in accordance with our corporate standards, applicable local regulations and guidelines, as well as relevant commitments. Our risk culture is supported by our risk management framework and our Code of Conduct. In 2025, we updated our principal environment risk - Managing our impact to the environment (water, biodiversity and nature) - considering the most up to date threats and opportunities associated with material environment risks across our Global portfolio.  

We have developed risk frameworks for each environment discipline that provide a consistent approach to how we identify, assess, manage and communicate associated risks across our portfolio. The framework aligns with our Environment Standard, complemented by standardised risk categories and control libraries.

Operational risks are managed at the asset level using an enterprise risk management system. Assets are empowered to develop context-specific risks within the structure of our environment frameworks. Operational risks are regularly reviewed, with structured assurance activities and escalation occurring based on control effectiveness, risk trend and materiality.

Performance, targets and disclosures

Transparency encourages accountability and informs conversations about the issues at hand. 

Our Nature Framework brings together the actions, governance and performance measures that guide our approach to nature, including a nature targets program. The program: 

  • acknowledges the interconnectedness of the realms of nature – air, land and water - and their ties to biodiversity, climate and society.;  
  • includes a set of locally focused, Site Improvement Plans (SIP), developed through 2025 and 2026.  
  • seeks to enhance transparency of our nature risks, challenges and performance over time.

Progress on the nature targets program will be reported annually. 

Theme Goal Location Site Improvement Plan description 
Air  Reduce air emissions Arvida-AP60, Canada 
Aluminum & Lithium 		 Reduce annual emissions of PM2.5 particulates and total fluoride per tonne of aluminium produced by close to 90% over the 2023 baseline by 31 December 2029.
Biodiversity Enhance biodiversity outcomes at a national and regional scale Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia 
Copper		 Complete the following biodiversity related improvement projects by 2030, in alignment with the ‘Caring for our Planet’ priority of OT’s Long-term Strategy:
  • Project 1: Priority Plant Species Propagation & Rehabilitation Trials. 
  • Project 2: Nature Positive Initiative metrics pilot.  
  • Project 3: Undertake a target of 1000 hectares of reclamation at select abandoned artisanal & small-scale mining (ASM) projects in Mongolia. 
Land Improve the pace and quality of rehabilitation  Pilbara Operations, Australia 
Iron Ore 		 Deliver progressive rehabilitation of 4,000 hectares across the Pilbara from 2026 to the end of 2030. Develop quantitative rehabilitation success criteria for mine, port and rail assets by the end of 2028.
    Kennecott, USA 
Copper		 Undertake progressive rehabilitation over 5 years for a total area of 404 hectares by the end of 2030.
Water  Improve water management outcomes in our operating regions  Pilbara Operations, Australia 
Iron Ore 		 Complete 5 water management investigations by 2030 that support improved water efficiency and reduced surface water discharge.
    Havre Saint Pierre, Canada 
Commercial 		 Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium to develop and implement an improved integrated site water management approach by 2029.  
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Our performance

View our interactive charts for current and historical data relating to our performance across air, biodiversity, land, materials and water.

Note: our disclosures now include data for operating lithium assets acquired via Arcadium.

View our performance

Our areas

A wide landscape of golden grasslands surrounding a shallow salt lake, with distant mountain ranges under a bright blue sky streaked with long white clouds.

Air

Clean air is essential for the health of ecosystems and host communities that surround our operations.
Plant at Kennecott copper mine

Biodiversity

Biodiversity underpins the ecosystems that support life, livelihoods and the economy. Mining activities often intersect with areas of high ecological value.
Workers from Biologic and Rio Tinto conducting environmental survey at Angelo River

Land

Producing the materials the world needs relies on access to land, and we recognise that this comes with responsibility.
Candid shot of a deer with two long horns facing towards its left.

Materials and waste management

As global populations grow and industrialise, effective materials management becomes increasingly important for people, the environment, and nature.
Argyle water

Water

Water is essential to life. It is inherently linked to healthy, thriving ecosystems and communities, and holds spiritual significance to First Nations and Land-Connected people all over the world.

Featured stories

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Guardians of the forest

A co-managed partnership is helping protect Guinea’s Pic de Fon Classified Forest while supporting development of the Simandou iron ore mine. Bringing together local communities, government, BirdLife International, Guinée Ecologie and SimFer, the co-management model combines local knowledge with conservation expertise. Communities play an active role in forest governance, monitoring and sustainable resource management, while partners support biodiversity protection and alternative livelihoods – helping balance economic development with long-term conservation of this important ecosystem. 
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Respecting land while restoring opportunities 

After more than 40 years of bauxite mining, our Gove mine in the Northern Territory, Australia is transitioning towards a post-mining future shaped by Traditional Owners and local communities. Alongside rehabilitating land and meeting our closure commitments, we’re working with partners to support new opportunities for the region. Through the Gove Peninsula Futures Reference Group, Traditional Owners, governments and community organisations are guiding decisions about Gove’s future – helping build a diverse economy, strengthen regional services and create a lasting legacy beyond mining. 
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From copper to conservation 

The Holden Mine remediation project in Washington state, US, reflects our responsibility to manage the environmental impacts of legacy mining sites. Although we never owned or operated the historic copper mine, we inherited responsibility for its remediation. Working with regulators, Indigenous communities and local partners, we have reshaped and covered mine waste, treated polluted groundwater and continue to monitor the site. We have also supported conservation of nearby habitat, as part of our ongoing stewardship of the Lake Chelan environment. Today, Railroad Creek is once again supporting fish and other aquatic life, while ongoing conservation efforts are helping manage impacts on the surrounding environment. 
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Employees at Richards Bay Minerals

Respecting rights

We recognise that nature is closely tied to health, livelihoods, and economic opportunities, and we are committed to respecting human rights, including the rights of Indigenous and land-connected Peoples, as we manage environment and nature-related risks.

Partnership

We work with conservation groups, research institutions, universities, Indigenous organisations, civil society organisations and local businesses to tackle environmental challenges and collaboratively develop solutions.  
Employee on site in the Pilbara
Scenic road

Innovation

We continue to seek out scientific and technological solutions to solve complex problems. 

Transparency

Building and maintaining the trust and respect of our stakeholders requires transparency. 
Innovation banner

 

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