The Rio Tinto logo is displayed on a visitor’s helmet at a borate mine in Boron, California, U.S., November 15, 2019. REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon

June 24 (Reuters) – Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AX) on Friday signed an agreement with Mongolia’s environment ministry to address climate change and desertification issues in the country where the global miner operates the huge mine of copper from Oyu Tolgoi.

Between 2022 and 2026, the Anglo-American miner’s local unit will help the East Asian country meet its national climate change commitments as the region faces an increasing number of natural disasters and climate, including forest fires and droughts.

Oyu Tolgoi is one of the largest known copper and gold deposits in the world, located in the South Gobi region of Mongolia, a landlocked nation between China and Russia prone to earthquakes and natural disasters.

Turquoise Hill Resources (TRQ.TO) has a 66% stake in the mine, with the remaining 34% held by the Mongolian government. Rio Tinto has a 51% stake in Turquoise and is vying for full control of the Canadian miner.

While the global average temperature has warmed by 0.86 degrees Celsius (33.548 Fahrenheit) over the past century, Mongolia’s average temperature has increased by 2.25 C over the past 80 years, Rio said. in a press release.

Rio Tinto’s local unit, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, will establish a joint team to develop and execute projects to combat climate change and desertification. The team will also implement, to some extent, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel

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