Rio Tinto PLC
RIO
Materials
3
exclusion reasons
2 themes
Rio Tinto PLC is screened out under 3 exclusion reasons spanning 2 issue categories.
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. It is a statement of values.
Rio Tinto operates a global portfolio of mines and processing facilities for iron ore, aluminum, copper, and other minerals. Its extractive operations have been linked to a documented pattern of environmental destruction across multiple continents. This includes toxic contamination of waterways, tailings dam failures, and the irreversible destruction of culturally and ecologically significant sites.
In May 2020, the company destroyed the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in Western Australia to expand an iron ore mine, despite having knowledge of the site’s profound cultural and archaeological significance. More recently, its QMM ilmenite mine in Madagascar has faced legal action from local communities alleging the operation has polluted local water bodies with uranium and lead, threatening the health and livelihoods of thousands of residents. An investor alert from March 2025 notes ongoing concerns regarding water contamination and tailings management issues across Rio Tinto's existing, legacy, and projected operations.
The company's history is marked by repeated fines for pollution violations. Its environmental record includes legacy sites like the Panguna mine in Bougainville, where toxic waste from the shuttered operation continues to impact communities decades later.
Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia inquiry (2020-2021) — Rio Tinto (RIO); May 2020 destruction of Juukan Gorge rock shelters (Western Australia): 46,000-year-old sacred sites of Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) peoples blasted to expand iron ore operations despite PKKP formal objection under WA Aboriginal Heritage Act; CEO and two senior executives resigned; parliamentary inquiry found systemic failure of FPIC process; Rio Tinto agreed A$3.5M compensation
Kennecott South Zone Superfund site (Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah); one of the largest Superfund sites in the US; open-pit copper mine among highest-volume TRI chemical releasers in Utah; groundwater contamination with sulfate, total dissolved solids, and metals affecting Salt Lake Valley; Rio Tinto responsible for historic and ongoing contamination across thousands of acres of Salt Lake County
Research Sources
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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