Rio Tinto has
further strengthened its partnership with China’s Tsinghua University,
signing a new partnership agreement and committing a further 30 million
yuan ($4.5 million) over the next five years to support research
projects of 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 Tinto’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 Tinto 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.
Rio Tinto
chief executive J-S Jacques and Vice Chairman of China’s National
Experts Panel on Climate Change, Tsinghua University former executive
vice president He Jiankun witnessed the signing of the agreement to
extend the partnership at a ceremony today in Beijing.
Rio Tinto
chief executive J-S Jacques said "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.”
“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.”
Tsinghua
University vice president You Zheng said "We will strive to build the
Joint Research Centre into one of the world's leading research
institutions on energy, resources and sustainable development, and one
of the most influential think tanks in China. We hope to continue to
work with Rio Tinto to contribute to the sustainable development of
humanity, leveraging our complementary advantages for mutual benefit and
common development."
About Rio
Tinto
Rio Tinto
produces materials that are essential to human progress. We have
publicly acknowledged the reality of climate change for over two decades
and have reduced our emissions footprint by over 30 per cent in the
decade to 2020.
We have set
ambitious emissions targets to reduce our carbon intensity by a further
30% and our absolute emissions by a further 15% by 2030, alongside
establishing a $1 billion fund to invest in climate related projects.
These targets will bring us a step closer to achieving our long-term
goal of becoming net zero emissions by 2050.
In 2018, we
completed the divestment of our coal assets, becoming the only major
mining company not producing fossil fuels. In the same year, we also
entered into the Elysis joint venture with Alcoa, with investments from
the Government of Quebec and Apple, which is developing a revolutionary
process to make aluminium that eliminates all direct greenhouse gas
emissions from smelting.
In 2019, we
entered into a partnership with China’s largest steel producer, China
Baowu Steel Group and Tsinghua University to develop and implement new
methods to reduce carbon emissions and improve environmental performance
across the steel value chain.
About
Tsinghua University
Established
in 1911, Tsinghua University is one of China’s most prestigious and
influential universities. With the motto of “self-discipline and social
commitment” and the spirit of “actions speak louder than words”.
Tsinghua greatly values the interaction between Chinese and Western
cultures, the science and humanities, the ancient and modern. Over the
past century, more than 200,000 graduates from Tsinghua have become top
talent in China and around the world. Tsinghua is committed to
developing innovative solutions that will help solve pressing problems
in China and the world, by setting its sight on the frontiers of science
and technology that align with the country’s strategic objectives.
Source: Rio
Tinto |