Foreword II
Climate change represents an unprecedented challenge for the world, but we believe
that feasible pathways exist to develop a successful low-carbon economy. Companies,
including ours, should be clear about how they plan to tackle climate change. As the
world needs more materials and energy to prosper and provide people with a better
quality of life, it also needs materials that have been produced in an economic and
sustainable way, with fewer emissions and with respect to communities. We recognize
both the challenge and opportunity in this and want to be part of the solution.
Climate risks and opportunities have formed part of our strategic thinking and
investment decisions for over two decades. We now have a portfolio well positioned
for the transition to a low-carbon economy, and we are the only major diversified company in the industry not involved in fossil fuel extraction. The materials
we produce are essential to the low-carbon transition: aluminium used in electric
vehicles, copper used to build wind turbines and iron ore used to create critical
infrastructure.
Our goal is to play an active role in finding climate solutions, and we will do
this through partnerships. Clearly, everyone needs to play a part: from customers to
suppliers, from communities to governments, and from civil society organizations
to business. Universities also have an essential role in finding and developing those
solutions. This is why we are looking to collaborate with partners across the value
chain.
The Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Join Research Centre demonstrates our commitment
to developing a long-term strategic partnership with China. As China is attaching
increasing importance to the quality of development in the New Era, the research
projects conducted by the Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Centre will become even more relevant
to China’s long-term strategic goals.
Tsinghua University is one of China’s most prestigious and influential universities
and follows the spirit of “actions speak louder than words”. 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.
The announcement by President Xi Jinping that China aims to have CO 2 emissions
peaks before 2030 and achieves carbon neutrality before 2060 is ambitious and
ix
Climate change represents an unprecedented challenge for the world, but we believe
that feasible pathways exist to develop a successful low-carbon economy. Companies,
including ours, should be clear about how they plan to tackle climate change. As the
world needs more materials and energy to prosper and provide people with a better
quality of life, it also needs materials that have been produced in an economic and
sustainable way, with fewer emissions and with respect to communities. We recognize
both the challenge and opportunity in this and want to be part of the solution.
Climate risks and opportunities have formed part of our strategic thinking and
investment decisions for over two decades. We now have a portfolio well positioned
for the transition to a low-carbon economy, and we are the only major diversified company in the industry not involved in fossil fuel extraction. The materials
we produce are essential to the low-carbon transition: aluminium used in electric
vehicles, copper used to build wind turbines and iron ore used to create critical
infrastructure.
Our goal is to play an active role in finding climate solutions, and we will do
this through partnerships. Clearly, everyone needs to play a part: from customers to
suppliers, from communities to governments, and from civil society organizations
to business. Universities also have an essential role in finding and developing those
solutions. This is why we are looking to collaborate with partners across the value
chain.
The Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Join Research Centre demonstrates our commitment
to developing a long-term strategic partnership with China. As China is attaching
increasing importance to the quality of development in the New Era, the research
projects conducted by the Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Centre will become even more relevant
to China’s long-term strategic goals.
Tsinghua University is one of China’s most prestigious and influential universities
and follows the spirit of “actions speak louder than words”. 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.
The announcement by President Xi Jinping that China aims to have CO 2 emissions
peaks before 2030 and achieves carbon neutrality before 2060 is ambitious and
ix