Report on the London AGM of Rio Tinto, 15 April 2010
Introduction This was Jan du Plessis’ first AGM as Chairman, and he gave plenty of time for questions on the annual report. There were numerous questions on the convictions of Rio Tinto officials in China for bribery (see Rio accused of abandoning Stern Hu, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/16/2874320.htm), on the clash of timing of the Rio Tinto AGM [...]
Borneo bears the brunt of “Deadly Coal”
Indonesian NGO launches global campaign Last February, at the invitation of JATAM (the Indonesian Mining Advocacy Network) and JATAM Kaltim (JATAM East Kalimantan), UK researcher Andrew Hickman saw for himself the impacts of coal mining in and around Samarinda, East Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Andrew works for LMN member group Down to Earth. He came across [...]
London Calling deplores the gilding of Tata’s tarnished image
New York-based Rainforest Alliance has certified Tata (Tetley brand) teas as “sustainable”. The first products carrying this highly sought-after stamp of approval will be selling in the UK before April, and throughout the world over the coming few years. Yet, Tata is on record as violating Indigenous Peoples’ rights, threatening the integrity of rainforests, and [...]
BHP retains ownership of destructive coal project in Kalimantan
Last year, the world’s biggest mining company announced it would sell out of a major coal project in the rainforests of Indonesian Kalimantan. Don’t for a moment think that BHP Billiton was influenced by criticisms of its role in boosting global greenhouse gas emissions, or the destruction that the mine would inevitably wreak. The decision [...]
