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Rio Tinto iced out by financier advocate ACCR over climate position

An Australian shareholder advocacy group stated it would no longer engage with Rio Tinto after the miner lobbied the Australian government to eliminate a reference to environment modification effects in impending environmental legislation.

Rio Tinto, Hancock Prospecting, and numerous other Western Australian market parties sent a letter to Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressing issues about the government's 'nature favorable' ecological reforms.

The letter, which became public after a Freedom of Details (FoI) request by Greenpeace, consisted of an appeal to eliminate climate change requirements such as carbon emissions as a. trigger for assessment. The names of other business were. redacted.

The Australasian Centre for Business Duty (ACCR),. which owns a small stake in Rio, said the appeal was. inconsistent with the miner's own public dedications for. enhanced climate advocacy and transparency, adding that the. miner's actions were a breach of trust, as it was not informed. of this position.

ACCR is now stepping far from an agreement to support. climate and decarbonisation related engagement with Rio Tinto. We will not participate in engagements that could rightly be. perceived as greenwashing, it stated in a declaration.

Engagement with Rio Tinto would only be possible again when. the business plainly and officially upgraded its advocacy position. on the ecological reforms, ACCR added.

Rio Tinto stated in a statement that it supported strong. environmental management which it eagerly anticipated engaging. with the Australian federal government to guarantee the brand-new guidelines were. practical and workable.

We believe reform ought to drive both more powerful environmental. and heritage protections and more efficient approvals. procedures, it stated in a statement.

(source: Reuters)