By Darren Gray
Rio Tinto has rejected a push by activist shareholders urging it to release details and strategies on how the greenhouse gas emissions produced by its customers, including Chinese steel-makers, could be cut.
The miner revealed its position in a letter from chairman Simon Thompson to shareholders, lodged with the ASX on Monday.
Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson, pictured in Melbourne in 2018.Credit: Eddie Jim
Mr Thompson said the proposed resolution called on the company to produce annual reports on its plans to cut so-called "Scope 1", "Scope 2" and "Scope 3" greenhouse gas emissions.
But Mr Thompson said "Scope 3" emissions were "primarily the emissions of our customers, mainly steel makers in China, over which we have very limited control".
"Options exist for the reduction of these emissions, but the speed, economic viability and ultimate deployment of these technologies lie within the control of our customers, not Rio Tinto."
Rio was already undertaking detailed work "on an asset-by-asset basis to inform new Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction targets to replace our existing targets," he said, which would be released in 2020.
Scope 1 emissions are considered to be "direct emissions" from an activity, for example, emissions from the burning of diesel fuel by large mining trucks, while Scope 2 emissions have been described as "indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy".