PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining major Rio Tinto has committed a further A$4.5-million in funding over the next five years to support its partnership with China’s Tsinghua University to support research projects at the Tsinghua-Rio Tinto joint research centre for resources, energy and sustainable development.
The partnership will continue to focus on sustainability issues, particularly those that support Rio’s 2050 net zero carbon emissions strategy and the company’s collaboration to reduce carbon emissions and improve environmental performance across the steel value chain as part of the separate Rio Tinto-China Baowu Steel Group-Tsinghua University partnership.
Rio and Tsinghua University established the joint research centre in 2012 to bring together leading experts from China and around the world to study, generate and share ideas and best practice for sustainable development. Over the last eight years, the partnership has delivered over 90 research papers on sustainability topics, with multiple policy recommendations submitted to the Chinese authorities.
“The Tsinghua-Rio Tinto joint research centre for resources, energy and sustainable development has already delivered great insight into the outlook of our largest market and our long-term strategic considerations for the transition to a low-carbon economy,” said Rio CEO Jean-Sebastian Jacques.
“Extending our strong partnership with Tsinghua University, as one of the leading institutions in China, underscores our commitment to be part of the solution to climate change.
“With China’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060, the research projects conducted by the Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Centre are likely to become even more relevant to achieving China’s long-term strategic goals.”