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鈥檚 largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We鈥檙e 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鈩 initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of 糖心vlog入口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
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
Refuelling the mining industry
How can we power the world鈥檚 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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Our community agreements are negotiated agreements with communities and Indigenous Peoples.
We have many agreements with community groups around the world, including exploration agreements, Good Neighbour agreements, cultural heritage management agreements, environmental management agreements, and Life-of-Mine agreements, which covers many aspects related to the lifecycle of a mine. They help us establish respectful relationships with the communities where we operate and are often the result of years of engagement.
Our agreements document mutual obligations and expected behaviours from our employees and contractors. They help reduce the impact of our projects on communities, people and environment. And they help make sure benefits are shared directly with those affected and empower communities to decide how to use these benefits.
Our agreements establish a framework for engaging with communities and Indigenous Peoples, often going beyond legal requirements and forming long-term relationships. These frameworks also set value-sharing models for financial and non-financial benefits to communities for access to land, cultural heritage management, employment, business development, training and education and other important areas.
These agreements provide accountability mechanisms and performance indicators covering all stages of the mining lifecycle from exploration through to closure so the parties can hold each other accountable to deliver on their commitments.
Following the tragic destruction of the rock shelters at Juukan Gorge, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in May 2020, we have changed the way we work with communities and Indigenous Peoples, particularly in how we protect heritage. We are moving to a model of co-management, working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples across our operations. Our approach aims to enhance our understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultural heritage and ensure that Indigenous voices inform our planning and decision making.
We continue to work to regain the trust of Traditional Owners and the wider community. We are actively engaging with Traditional Owners in Western Australia to understand existing and historic issues better and find ways we can deliver more effective outcomes together.
It is our intention that revised agreements will seek to agree on a clear pathway for resolution of any differences of views that may emerge. We will also continue to work with Traditional Owners and local communities to build sustainable business development and employment participation opportunities.
Read more about the changes we have made since Juukan Gorge.
Read more about our approach to cultural heritage.
We have 12 active long-term impact benefits/participation agreements in Canada. Our agreements include areas such as training and employment procurement, land and water management, joint environmental monitoring and community investment. We are also working in partnership with Indigenous communities to look at how we protect and preserve cultural heritage.
Our approach to engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples was fundamentally reshaped by key legal events in Australia with the High Court鈥檚 Mabo decision in 1992, and the introduction of Native Title legislation, which recognised Native Title to land in 1993. Under this law, the 鈥渞ight to negotiate鈥 provision facilitated a culture of agreement making in Australia.
We are proud to be the first mining company in Australia to embrace Native Title to land and to form agreements with Traditional Owners.
In Canada, our first agreement was at the Diavik Diamond Mine, where, in 1999, we signed a Socio Economic Monitoring Agreement (SEMA) with the Northwest Territories government and 5 impacted Metis, First Nations and Inuit organisations. This was followed by the signing of individual Participation Agreements with each of the communities in 2000 and 2001.
The development of new assets, such as Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia, has also allowed us to in a context that go beyond Indigenous groups to land-connected Peoples more broadly.
Learn more about how and why we make agreements