Looking Ahead

Borax achieved some fundamental goals for improving its program and approach in 2004 – namely, inviting feedback from internal and external stakeholders to improve what we measure and how we report our progress, and integrating the program into our key business functions and processes.

However, the company did not fully achieve its goals to further embed sustainability concepts into its culture and failed to lower many of its environmental impacts. As a result, our main focus areas in 2005 will be:

• Developing better systems to regularly track and monitor progress against key environmental targets at operational facilities
• Implementing projects at Borax's primary mine and refinery operation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve efficiency and water use
• Continuing to implement behavior-based safety training programs and to encourage broad participation at Borax facilities worldwide
• Further integrating how the company evaluates sustainability into its decision-making processes

Actions to address these and other issues are expressed in targets presented throughout this report. Thank you for reviewing Borax's 2004 Sustainable Development Report. We welcome your comments and questions, as well as your ideas to make this report better. For more information, please, contact:

Tarun Bhatia
Business Improvement Project Manager
Rio Tinto Borax
26877 Tourney Road
Valencia, CA 91355
USA
T: 661-287-6055
E: tarun.bhatia@borax.com