Company: RTNTF
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0001628280-25-006642
Chunk: 69

Company: RIO TINTO LTD
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 20-F
Chunk 69
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. We have also been working on preparing an expansion of the same dashboard to include groundwater data, with an aim to release this update in 2025. We progressed work on improving our understanding of the cultural value of water as part of an initiative being advanced by our Australian Advisory Group. We also continued to develop our Water Risk Framework by enhancing our Group water control library, as part of our Group-wide refreshed assurance program.

| For more informationsee riotinto.com/water |

Biodiversity We depend on healthy ecosystems to run a sustainable business, and recognise our responsibility to minimise and mitigate our impacts on nature. We seek opportunities to achieve no net loss of biodiversity, and protect and restore ecosystems where we operate. We recognise that the interconnected impacts of climate change and nature loss pose significant risks both to people and the environment on which we all rely. Biological diversity (biodiversity) is the foundation of healthy ecosystems, which provide valuable services that directly benefit the environment, society and industries, including ours. Healthy ecosystems support vital processes such as water purification, soil stabilisation and climate regulation – key aspects that underpin safe and efficient mining and processing practices. We also embrace, and are responding to, increasing societal expectations for improving our environmental performance, societal engagement, transparency and accountability across our value chain. Managing biodiversity risk Biodiversity impacts and dependencies are crucial concepts in understanding the interconnected relationship between people and the natural environment, and addressing these impacts and dependencies are essential to developing sustainable practices that conserve biodiversity and support society. Biodiversity impacts refer to the effects of activities on the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem. While some impacts are positive, there are several pressures that need to be managed, including: – Ecosystems alteration : Urbanisation, agriculture and industrialisation can change water course, drainage patterns and soil composition, affecting ecosystem functions. – Pollution: Contaminants such as chemicals, plastics, or discharges to air and water can degrade ecosystems, posing a risk to the health of species. – Climate change: Shifting climate patterns and extreme events can disrupt habitats, forcing species to migrate, adapt or face extinction. – Overexploitation: Practices like excessive fishing, hunting, and plant harvesting, can reduce species populations and diversity. – Invasive species: The introduction of non-native species can disrupt ecosystems by out-competing native species, predating on them, or introducing new diseases. – Fragmentation: The division of habitats into smaller, isolated patches can reduce species' range and hinder their ability to reproduce, find food or adapt to environmental