Sustainable development

Sustainable development is about taking a long-term view. It is about meeting the needs of today’s generation without compromising the needs of future generations.

Mining may seem inconsistent with the concept of sustainable development, given that we excavate ‘non-renewable’ resources. However, mining supplies the minerals and metals that are essential to our quality of life.

Our commitment to sustainable development is an important part of how we do business, and our approach allows us to strengthen local communities through social, environmental and financial investments with strong corporate governance. Aligning our business strategy and daily practices around sustainable development helps us strengthen our operations and products, build enduring communities, and provide lasting benefits for our employees and stakeholders.

 

Sustainable Development Reports:

 

<p><strong>Resource stewardship</strong></p><p> We will maximize efficiency in our mining and process operations, minimize product losses, and maximize efficient use of water, energy, and raw materials.</p> <p><strong>Environmental stewardship</strong></p><p> Environmental stewardship is at the heart of our commitment to sustainable development. Wherever possible, we prevent, or otherwise minimize, mitigate and remediate any potentially harmful effects of our operations on the environment.</p> <p><strong>External governance</strong></p><p> We will seek public input and foster opportunities to work with local, state and federal governments to promote policies and laws that support our ability to successfully contribute to sustainable development.</p> <p><strong>Shareholder return</strong></p><p> We will maximize return on investment and reputation over the long term, thereby providing the resources necessary to maximize our contributions to shareholders, and contribute to sustainable development.<br />  </p> <p><strong>Economic contributions</strong></p><p> We offer good jobs, competitive compensation and skills development to our employees.  We contribute to community needs and activities.</p> <p><strong>Customer focus</strong></p><p> We deliver, to our customers, high performance, quality products and outstanding service.  We search for and test every opportunity to build stronger customer relationships through proactive engagement, attentive listening and value enhancement of our product and service excellence.</p> <p><strong>Collaboration</strong></p><p> We will actively collaborate within KUC, among Rio Tinto Business Units and with external stakeholders.</p> <p><strong>Human health & safety</strong></p><p> We are concerned for the health and safety of everyone here, as well as our neighbors and local communities.  We will monitor, report and improve on health and safety achievements with an ultimate goal of providing a workplace that is free from harmful exposures, that is free from workplace incidents, and that does not adversely impact the health and safety of our neighbors.</p> <p><strong>Communities & education</strong></p><p> Good relations with our neighbors are fundamental to our long-term success. We will actively participate in the affairs of the communities in which we operate by partnering with our local communities for long-term mutual benefit. We actively support a minerals and mining education program designed to educate the public about our philosophy of balancing society’s need for metals with an environmentally responsible approach to mining. We support broader education and training that is relevant to our business and builds alignment with the communities in which we operate.</p> <p><strong>Stakeholder engagement & transparency</strong></p><p> We will continue to develop partnerships and seek input from key stakeholders, be willing to listen to divergent points of view, and provide stakeholders with information relevant to their needs and interests through timely and open reporting.<br />  </p> <p><strong>Working together</strong></p><p> We involve all employees, working together as a team, to achieve our strategic business objectives.</p> <p><strong>Resource stewardship</strong></p><p> We will continue to develop partnerships and seek input from key stakeholders, be willing to listen to divergent points of view, and provide stakeholders with information relevant to their needs and interests through timely and open reporting.<br />  </p> <p><strong>Polution prevention</strong></p><p> We strive to minimize releases of pollutants to the environment and minimize waste through the pursuit of source-control technology, technical innovation, best management practices and employee involvement.</p> <p><strong>Product stewardship</strong></p><p> We will operate our product stewardship program to promote the safe and environmentally responsible use of our products.  Health, safety and environmental research are priorities in planning for all existing and new products and processes.<br />  </p> <p><strong>Management & structures</strong></p><p> We will utilize appropriate management systems, structures, incentives, performance measures and other applicable governance systems in our business to effectively contribute to sustainable development.</p> <p><strong>Business ethics</strong></p><p> We are committed to high standards of corporate governance and conduct our business with honesty, integrity, fairness and transparency.  Consistent with this approach, we subscribe to the principles embodied in the Rio Tinto Statement of Business Practice - the “Way We Work”.</p> <p><strong>Compliance</strong></p><p> We are committed to comply with all legal, regulatory, and "other" requirements and standards.</p> <p><strong>Transparency</strong></p><p> We will continue to develop partnerships and seek input from key stakeholders, be willing to listen to divergent points of view, and provide stakeholders with information relevant to their needs and interests through timely and open reporting.<br />  </p> <p><strong>Economic prosperity</strong></p><p> A core component of sustainable development is supporting and enhancing a sustainable economy near our operations. Our continued success is based on the ability to secure access to people, land and capital, and make responsible investments in our future. Our objective is to understand and maximize the benefits we can bring to the economy at local, regional and national levels.</p> <p><strong>Social well-being</strong></p><p> We believe that our employees are our greatest asset. We're committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace where people can develop to the full extent of their abilities. We are committed to building enduring relationships with our people by treating them with fairness and decency at all times.</p> <p><strong>Governance</strong></p><p> We believe sound corporate governance and high ethical standards give us a competitive advantage in securing access to resources and skilled employees. To us, maintaining sound corporate governance and high ethical standards are as important to us as the technical and economic aspects of our business. Good governance in areas such as environmental performance, community relations, human rights, and employee welfare are vital to our long-term success. Our employees must abide by the same philosophies - accountability, fairness, integrity and transparency - set out in our global code of business conduct: The way we work.</p>

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