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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Results from a baseline socio-economic study helped us to develop and implement projects that focus on protecting the environment, community health, education, and local livelihoods. Our education and training initiatives includes the construction of colleges as well as scholarships. We have programs that focus on each of the priority areas, including, for example, a community health program and a herders' livelihood support program.
Water is precious in the arid South Gobi region, which receives on average 97 mm of rainfall each year. The way we manage water resources is of great importance to the local Khanbogd herders, whose livelihoods depend on it. Local herders rely on shallow sources of groundwater from springs and wells for their animals.
Oyu Tolgoi is one of the most water-efficient copper mines in the world. Through innovative recycling and conservation practices, our operation uses 0.42 cubic metres of water per tonne of ore processed – significantly below the global average of 1.2 cubic metres of water per tonne for comparable copper businesses. In addition, more than 85% of water used at Oyu Tolgoi is recycled. We also have a policy of zero direct discharge, meaning that no wastewater will be directly released into the environment - all of the water at Oyu Tolgoi is used and reused until it is lost through evaporation.
In addition to our recycling and water conservation practices, we also work with the community to protect the water in boreholes, existing wells and other community water supplies. One way we do this is through a community water-monitoring program: we monitor the levels and quality of water in herders' hand-dug wells, and local herders make their own water records for comparison. The data has shown there has been no negative impact on the wells from the mine's operations.
The Cooperation Agreement sets out how Oyu Tolgoi and its partner communities – Umnugovi aimag, and Khanbogd, Manlai, Bayan-Ovoo and Dalanzadgad soums – will work together towards sustainable development in areas such as water, environment, pastureland management, cultural heritage, tourism, local business development and procurement, and was established in Dalanzadgad in 2015.
The main goal of the agreement is to provide a strong governance structure for Oyu Tolgoi and local communities for effective cooperation and to address mutual obligations. Under the agreement, Oyu Tolgoi will make a contribution of US$5 million every year to a Development Support Fund (DSF) – administered jointly between Oyu Tolgoi and the Community – for community programs and projects in the Umnugovi aimag.
The Cooperation Agreement is a requirement under the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement (OTIA) and the Mongolian Minerals Law.
At Oyu Tolgoi, we are committed to protecting and preserving the cultural heritage of Mongolia, in particular in the region of the South Gobi. We have established a Cultural Heritage Management System, which outlines processes to ensure the management and protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Cultural heritage includes tangible heritage in the form of archaeological and paleontological finds, historic buildings, and natural landmarks and intangible heritage in the form of the traditions of the local people, nomadic herding, technology, and folk legends. For example, regarding tangible heritage, we protect and preserve dinosaur tracks in Shar Tsav, and preserve Khanbogd soum’s historical and cultural sites. Examples of intangible heritage include our support of the annual camel festival, traditional ovoo ceremonies and training local people on new methodologies for documenting local oral history.
Between 2010 and 2021, Oyu Tolgoi spent $13.4 billion in-country in the form of salaries, payments to Mongolian suppliers, taxes, donations and other payments to the Government of Mongolia.
Since 2011, Oyu Tolgoi has developed and implemented policies to create a supply chain in Mongolia with a particular focus on the South Gobi region. This includes a ‘Made in Mongolia’ procurement strategy to source products manufactured locally. For example, we awarded a contract to Mongolian shoe factory Khos-Az to supply safety boots to Oyu Tolgoi.
Our South Gobi spend has grown from $0.5 million in 2010 to over $888 million in 2021. The value of the spend with national suppliers that are majority owned by Mongolian citizens now accounts for 71% of overall operational spend, which brings the accumulative total spend with national suppliers to $4.1 billion since 2010.
Learn more about local procurement at Oyu Tolgoi.
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