2007 Alcan Prize for Sustainability Awarded to India-based Utthan Centre for Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation

Montreal, Canada (ots/PRNewswire) - Rio Tinto Alcan and the
International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) are pleased to announce
the 2007 recipient of the US$1 million Alcan Prize for Sustainability
is the Utthan Centre for Sustainable Development and Poverty
Alleviation, based in India (Utthan).

"We congratulate Dr. Dina Nath Tewari, his staff, and their
networks on receiving the 2007 Prize," said Rio Tinto Alcan's Corey
Copeland, Senior Vice President, Communications and External
Relations, presenting the prize in Delhi, India. The Alcan Prize for
Sustainability was introduced to recognize and reward significant
contributions to the goal of economic, environmental, and social
sustainability by NGOs, not-for-profit, and civil society
organizations around the world. "Utthan has made remarkable strides
on behalf of disadvantaged communities in India, and we're delighted
to think that the Alcan Prize might further advance the fine work
this organization does."

Founded in 1996, the Utthan Centre for Sustainable Development and
Poverty Alleviation operates in surface soil-mined areas around
cities, degraded forest lands, dry lands, and wastelands. Its
projects cover distressed migration areas; backward and inaccessible
areas with disadvantaged communities and poor communication; and
areas with deficits in food, nutrition, and health support. These
include 10 districts in Uttar Pradesh, two districts in Chhattisgarh,
and four districts in Madhya Pradesh States.

Utthan's mission is to create opportunities for sustainable
economic, social, and ecological development in south Asia by
adopting and promoting programs that are pro-disadvantaged community
and pro-environment.

Adrian Hodges, Managing Director of the IBLF, said, "The Alcan
Prize for Sustainability has been in place for four years and has
importantly raised the profile of pioneering NGOs like Utthan. People
working in organizations like Utthan deserve to be recognised for
their efforts in helping make the world a better place. The Alcan
Prize is a tangible reward for Utthan's past achievement and an award
to support their future good work."

"This funding and recognition is very significant for us," added
Dr. Tewari, President of the Utthan Centre for Sustainable
Development and Poverty Alleviation. "The money associated with the
Alcan Prize will allow us to do so much more for disadvantaged
communities. But, perhaps even more importantly, the recognition of
our efforts on the international stage will lead to learning and
partnerships that we might not have been able to access on our own."

The Alcan Prize annually recognizes NGOs, not-for-profit, and
civil society organizations working to build sustainable societies
around the world. Rio Tinto Alcan committed to nine years of funding
in the first Prize cycle, which is now in its fourth year. The Prize
is managed independently by the IBLF, and Rio Tinto Alcan does not
have a voice on the international panel of distinguished
sustainability thinkers that annually reviews entries and selects the
winner.

The recipient of the 2007 Alcan Prize will be celebrated in June
2008 in Montreal during the International Economic Forum of the
Americas (Conference of Montreal).

In addition to the US$1 million Prize, Rio Tinto Alcan awarded
US$15,000 Training Grants to all nine remaining shortlisted
organizations for the first time this year. The Grants are awarded
with the specific intention of investing in certifiable training and
capacity building for the organization. Previous winners of the Alcan
Prize include the Forest Stewardship Council (2004), the Aga Khan
Planning and Building Services Pakistan (2005) and The Barefoot
College (2006).

Website: http://www.riotinto.com/riotintoalcan

Website: http://www.alcanprizeforsustainability.com

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in
the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London listed company, and Rio
Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral
resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy
(coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium
dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are
strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant
businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

ots Originaltext: Rio Tinto Alcan
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

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For further information: Rio Tinto Alcan Media Relations, Montreal,
Stefano Bertolli, Tel.: +1-514-848-8151, stefano.bertolli@alcan.com;
Media Relations, London, Christina Mills, Office: +44(0)20-7781-1154,
Mobile: +44(0)7825-275-605; Nick Cobban, Office: +44(0)20-7781-1138,
Mobile: +44(0)7920-041-003, Email: questions@riotinto.com; Alcan
Prize for Sustainability (IBLF), Leesa Muirhead, Tel:
+44(0)7901-510-701, alcanprize@iblf.org; Utthan Contact: Dr. Dina
Nath Tewari, +91-98261-24273


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