Rio Tinto mines metals, not coal. Still it’s notable when a mining company threatens action if mining company associations do not act to enforce the goals of the Paris Accord, don’t you think?
According to the news article in The Guardian, Rio Tinto’s position has been carefully worked out over the past two years.
Rio Tinto has signalled it is prepared to quit its membership of industry associations, including the Minerals Council, if it makes public statements inconsistent with Australia’s Paris climate agreement commitment.
The company published a global statement on Thursday night setting out its expectations of the industry bodies it belongs to about commentary they make on climate policy.
It includes an expectation that Australian industry associations will publicly argue against government subsidies for coal.
The statement comes after more than a year of talks between Rio Tinto and the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, a not-for-profit group that targets social, environmental and governance issues within large corporations.
Rio Tinto published its environmental statement, urging action against global warming climate change, in 2017. Another giant company using natural resources, urging the rest of us to be wise stewards of the Earth.
It’s a start.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Yes – it is a start!
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Communist governments also have a horrid record on protecting the environment. Not on their radar.
It’s more likely Rio Tinto is in business for the long haul, and over the next century there’s a lot of money to be made in cleaning up our air to prevent greater and catastrophic warming.
By the way, the relationship you imply, where the government allows a corporation to keep doing business to advance the political ends of the government, is a hallmark of fascism, not socialism or communism. Fascists also have horrible records on environmental protection.
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I think Rio Tinto’s actions are politically based, and yes, monetarily based. It is (I believe) betting that most countries where it does business will “end up” being controlled by the liberal (if not, radical) left, and by taking this stand, they position themselves as “friends” of that political group. It is obvious (from history) that communist / socialist governments have no qualms about stealing property, including entire business conglomerates, especially those that don’t publicly agree with their politics. If you no longer control (or even have access to) the property you once owned, you can’t make any money.
By stating publicly that they “believe” we should act on the Paris Accord, Rio Tinto does no harm to themselves in conservatively run countries, because those countries allow free speech, freedom of belief, and the right of ownership and control of property. Where it really matters though, is in countries that will confiscate and take over your business operations, if you even hint that you believe in freedom of speech and belief, and the right to control your own property in the way that you believe is right, including right for your business, your employees, and the larger society in which you operate.
I have no problem with people believing differently – I have a BIG problem with people who say, “You have the right to believe, say, and act however you want, as long as you agree with me and my beliefs.”
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