Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Enabling ESG transparency
Our START™ initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of Rio Tinto materials.
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Reports 2024
Download our 2024 suite of reports, including our 2024 Taxes and Royalties Paid Report, detailing $8.4 billion of taxes and royalties paid globally during the year
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Things You Can't Live Without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
Refuelling the mining industry
How can we power the world’s biggest machines with new fuel solutions?
Forging a low-carbon future
How we're working to decarbonise iron ore and steel
Discover more about life at Rio Tinto
Graduates and students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
Available jobs
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Shaeron (Shae) is our Senior Manager of Human Rights. Her career has taken her across continents and sectors, from corporate law to advocacy to mining. Since joining in 2022, Shae and her team are working to embed human rights at the heart of our business – turning policy into action and creating a lasting impact for people and communities around the world.
"If you’d asked me as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up, I don’t think I could’ve answered. My childhood spanned across multiple continents and 8 schools – constantly adapting, learning new cultures, languages and ways of seeing the world. That upbringing gave me an innate curiosity about people and a deep sense of fairness, long before I even knew what human rights were.
While my first official job was a piano teacher, when it came time to choose a career, I didn’t set out to be a business and human rights practitioner – in fact, that wasn’t even a job title I’d ever heard of in a business before! I chose law, because I wanted to understand justice. My early career took me into corporate law, project finance and insolvency, working in Australia and the United Kingdom for major firms, and later as a commercial in-house lawyer. In each of those roles I was always drawn back to this question – could and should business do more to consider their impact on people?
At the same time, I was following with interest the growing momentum globally with the introduction of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the growing rise of ESG.
In 2016, a simple email at a broadcaster I was working for changed the next stage of my career. What was to be a quick modern slavery compliance task (“can you write a modern slavery statement for us”) became a full working group I led, diving deep into the issue and connecting with people fighting to end modern slavery in the UK and globally. It reignited a long-held passion – one I knew I wanted to keep following.
When I returned home to Australia, I made the conscious decision to leave the security of corporate law behind and join the Walk Free Foundation, advocating for a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. I worked with a phenomenal team to write the case for modern slavery laws in Australia, learnt how to lobby government and business, and helped build forums for collaboration across the Indo–Pacific through the Bali Process. It was meaningful, groundbreaking work and taught me the power of collaboration to create social change – between businesses, governments and with civil society.
The opportunity then came up to work as a human rights advisor and implementing human rights principles in practice. That’s what brought me to the mining sector, and most recently, Rio Tinto 3 years ago.
Shae presenting on a panel of young professionals in Perth, Western Australia, who are making a difference in areas like Modern Day Slavery and the not-for-profit sector.
With the appointment of a new Global Head of Communities and Social Performance (CSP), the human rights team was brought into the CSP Area of Expertise. This created a real opportunity to bring human rights closer to the day-to-day decisions affecting people’s lives and the heart of our business. Our talented team is building and maturing our human rights program across Rio Tinto.