RT Biodiversity and NRM Standard

Standard
E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource

management
November 2017
Group Standard Title: Biodiversity protection and Document number: HSEC-B-29

natural resource management
Function: Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
No. of Pages: 3
Approved by ExCo: Effective: Supersedes: No audit before:

November 2017 November 2017 2014 version 01 January 2019
Owner: Approver: Target audience:

Group Executive Health, Safety & Executive All Rio Tinto staff and each Rio Tinto
Environment Committee Group business and function
Direct linkages to other relevant policies, standards, procedures or guidance notes:
Rio Tinto management system standard and E14 – Land management and rehabilitation control standard. E16
- Biodiversity protection and natural resource management guidance note
Document purpose:
To support the implementation of the Group HSEC policy. This standard defines the minimum acceptable
requirements for behaviours and/or conditions in respect of managing biodiversity and natural resources
used by affected communities, which if not met, could materially impact the Group.
Confidential
This document is the copyright property of Rio Tinto HSEC and contains information that is
confidential to companies within the Rio Tinto Group.
© Rio Tinto 2017

E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource
management
Intent and scope

Business units and operations are accountable to manage impacts associated with our operations
to ensure risk is managed in accordance with regulatory commitments, Rio Tinto values as outlined
in The way we work, and the HSEC policy. Rio Tinto is committed to protecting the environmental
value of the regions where we operate and maintaining good stewardship for the long term. The
intent of the standard and the requirements herein, is to prevent, or otherwise minimise, mitigate
and remediate the effects that our business’ operations have on communities and environments.
This standard is applicable to all Rio Tinto business units and managed operations across all
phases of their life cycle from exploration through post-closure. This includes impacts on biological
diversity and ecosystem services that are relied upon by surrounding communities for natural
resource use, as well as ecosystems held within avoidance, buffer, and offset zones, or other non-
operational zones. It applies to all lands and waters utilised by the business or for which the
business may have responsibility.
Performance requirements
1.1 Mitigate impacts on important biodiversity features, priority ecosystems services and
related natural resource availability to reduce residual impacts to the extent practicable by
applying the mitigation hierarchy principles of avoid, minimize, and rehabilitate.
1.2 Actions that are planned to mitigate biodiversity impacts but have unavoidable impacts on
the natural resource needs of communities must ensure that appropriate compensation is
agreed and provided in a manner consistent with the Communities and Social Performance
Standard.
1.3 Actively seek and implement collaborative opportunities for enhancing biodiversity and
long-term stewardship of natural resources within avoidance and restored zones and non-
operational lands through an inclusive stakeholder approach.
1.4 When residual impacts are, or are predicted to be, significant following application of the
earlier stages of the mitigation hierarchy, implement offsets as necessary to meet
regulatory or lender requirements, or to otherwise manage associated risk. Commitments
to voluntary offsets due to significant biodiversity impacts require the approval of the
Managing Director.
Control requirements
Requirements in this standard apply in addition to any requirements defined in the Rio Tinto
Management System standard, those of the Community and social performance standard, and the
other environmental standards. Materiality thresholds, described in guidance to this standard,
determine the level of effort required to meet subsequent clauses herein.
Hazard identification and risk management

2.1 Develop internal performance criteria when government regulations are absent or
insufficient to ensure protection of important biodiversity features, priority ecosystems
services and related natural resource availability. Any performance criteria that are more
stringent than government regulations must have formal approval from the business’
Managing Director.
Standard E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource management Page 2 of 3

2.2 Assess biodiversity, natural resource values, and ecosystem services at existing and new
sites. Update this values assessment in response to changes in local conditions or the
conservation status of species or ecosystems.
2.3 Design and implement baseline studies with adequate time to identify important
biodiversity features, priority ecosystems services and related natural resource availability
that may be impacted by new projects or expansions.
2.4 Identify, characterise, document and evaluate all known potential risks and impacts,
including cumulative and indirect impacts, to biodiversity, natural resources and related
ecosystem services.
2.5 Develop and document appropriate mitigation strategies that could address identified
significant risks and impacts to important biodiversity features, priority ecosystems services
and related natural resource availability.
2.6 Develop, maintain and implement a mitigation plan for all significant risks and impacts to
important biodiversity features, priority ecosystems services and related natural resource
availability, based on mitigation strategies and in consultation with relevant stakeholders
and affected communities.
2.7 Ensure internal alignment between biodiversity management and other appropriate
business departments throughout implementation.
2.8 Evaluate and document all known potential impacts to important biodiversity features,
priority ecosystems services and related natural resource availability. Develop appropriate
mitigation strategies for all significant risks and impacts as part of the technical and
financial preparation and evaluation of capital projects.
Management of change
2.9 Evaluate and document any change to mine design, infrastructure and operations that
could impact important biodiversity features, priority ecosystems services and related
natural resource availability, as part of a change management process that prioritises
opportunities to avoid and/or reduce impacts.
2.10 Apply a disturbance approval procedure to address activities that may lead to disturbance
of sensitive areas and result in impacts to important biodiversity features, priority
ecosystems services and related natural resource availability.
Monitoring, measuring and reporting

2.11 Design and implement a monitoring programme using metrics that adequately track
changes in identified important biodiversity features, priority ecosystem services and
related natural resource availability to confirm impact predictions, and validate the success
of mitigation plans.
2.12 Investigate and take appropriate actions when material deviations from impact predictions
are identified or when internal performance criteria are not met.
2.13 Develop participatory monitoring programmes with affected communities, as appropriate.
2.14 Arrange for an independent review of the mitigation plan by qualified external expertise at
least every five years or with every significant change to the risk profile if significant
biodiversity risks or impacts are identified.
2.15 Report on site-level mitigation performance to relevant external stakeholders regularly if
significant risks or impacts to important biodiversity features, priority ecosystem services or
natural resource availability are identified.
Standard E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource management Page 3 of 3

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Standard

E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource

Group Standard Title: Biodiversity protection and Document number: HSEC-B-29

Function: Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)

Approved by ExCo: Effective: Supersedes: No audit before:

Owner: Approver: Target audience:

Direct linkages to other relevant policies, standards, procedures or guidance notes:

© Rio Tinto 2017

Intent and scope

Hazard identification and risk management

Standard E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource management Page 2 of 3

Monitoring, measuring and reporting

Standard E16 – Biodiversity protection and natural resource management Page 3 of 3

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