In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
Rio Tinto PLC has also provided a category-level breakdown for 7 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 23,000,000a | 23,300,000a | 22,700,000a | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 6,900,000a | 9,300,000a | 9,600,000a | |
Location-Based | 7,800,000a | 7,800,000a | 8,200,000a | |
Total Scope 3 | 574,600,000a | 572,500,000a | 572,300,000a | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 428.6407a | 431.1541a | 554.3125a |
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In 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Rio Tinto PLC amounted to 30,800,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2023, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Rio Tinto PLC decreased by 0.96%, showing that the company has made progress in taking action to reduce the climate impact of its operations.a
In 2024, the total Scope 1 emissions of Rio Tinto PLC were 23,000,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2019, Rio Tinto PLC's Scope 1 emissions have remained relatively, stable, indicating that Rio Tinto PLC's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its operational footprint.ab
Compared to the previous year (2023), Rio Tinto PLC's Scope 1 emissions decreased by 1.29%, highlighting the company's efforts to lower direct emissions from assets it owns or controls.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 6,900,000 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 7,800,000 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Since 2019, Rio Tinto PLC's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that Rio Tinto PLC's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.ab
Compared to the previous year (2023), Rio Tinto PLC's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that Rio Tinto PLC's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported 574,600,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2024 disclosure of Rio Tinto PLC includes a breakdown across 7 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, matching the level of disclosure in 2023, demonstrating consistent Scope 3 emissions reporting coverage year over year.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported total Scope 3 emissions of 574,600,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 5.44% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 94.56% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Compared to the previous year (2023), Rio Tinto PLC's Scope 3 emissions remained relatively stable, indicating that Rio Tinto PLC's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its value chain footprint.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported emissions for 7 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.a
This partial disclosure allows for some insight into the company's indirect impacts.
In 2024, the largest contributors to Rio Tinto PLC's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 23,000,000 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 53,658 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 428.64 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 428.64 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 194.45, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC ranked 18 out of 25 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
Rio Tinto PLC is therefore positioned in the mid-range of its industry, neither a clear leader nor a laggard in carbon efficiency.a
In 2024, Rio Tinto PLC reported a total carbon footprint of 605,400,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 0.3% increase compared to 2023, suggesting a rise in emissions across its operations or value chain.a
The largest contributor to Rio Tinto PLC's total carbon footprint was Scope 3 emissions, accounting for 94.91% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 1 emissions at 3.8%.a