sponsors
Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London listed public company headquartered in the UK, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, with executive offices in Melbourne.
The two companies are joined in a "dual listed companies" (DLC) structure as a single economic entity, called the Rio Tinto Group.
Rio Tinto is a leader in finding, mining and processing the earth's mineral resources to meet essential needs. The continued success of our business is underpinned by a strong commitment to all aspects of sustainable development with an integrated approach to economic, social and environmental management and effective corporate governance.
The Group's major products include aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy products, gold, industrial minerals (borates, titanium dioxide, salt and talc), and iron ore. Its activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America. There are also significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.
In 2001, BirdLife International and Rio Tinto formed a partnership to achieve mutually held goals of biodiversity conservation within the context of the global transition to sustainable development.
More Information
- Rio Tinto Corporate website
- Rio Tinto Sustainable Development website
- Rio Tinto & BirdLife International partnership broschure
Palabora Mining Company
Palabora Mining Company Limited extracts and beneficiates copper and vermiculite from its mines in the Limpopo Province. The company was incorporated in South Africa in August 1956. It is South Africa's only producer of refined copper. The mining of the company's copper ore-body commenced in 1956. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the company's open-pit copper mine and associated processing plants produced over 2.7 million tonnes of copper.
Through The Palabora Foundation, Palabora Mining Company sponsors various events and projects in conjunction with Rio Tinto and BirdLife International to inform and educate the local communities, to create jobs and promote tourism in the area.
More Information
The Palabora Foundation
The Palabora Foundation was created in 1986 by Palabora Mining Company (Palabora). It is a registered independent educational trust and is registered as a non-profit organisation with the Department of Social Development.
The Palabora Foundation achieves its goal of assisting the community to be self-reliant by working in partnership with communities within a 50km radius of Phalaborwa in the fields of:
- Education
- Skills Development Training
- Small Business Development
- Community Health and HIV/Aids
- Local Economic Development and Tourism
- Small Scale Community Projects
The Foundation facilitates the establishment of a pool of skilled people in local communities who can contribute to the further development of communities.
BirdLife South Africa, Rio Tinto, Palabora Mining Company and The Palabora Foundation are partnering to launch the Kruger to Canyons Birding Route as part of their community and sustainable development approach to promote conservation and tourism in the area and to create local jobs in the communities by training community bird guides.
Another Foundation community project also involved is the local Eco-Schools programme that reaches out to school children and informs and educates them about their environment; including birds and their habitats.
More Information
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic community of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Europe. The European Union is the main funder and driver of the Limpopo Local Economic Development Programme which, in partnership with the Department of Local Government and Housing, aims at reducing poverty in Limpopo through pro-poor economic growth programs.
The Kruger to Canyons Birding Route was successful in its application to the European Union through a Local Competetiveness Fund Application and has a 15 month contract to extend the economic benefits of avitourism to local communities whilst increasing the profile of the Ba-Phalaborwa and Maruleng Local Municipalities.