To be eligible, projects must have potential to cut global emissions by at least 500 million tonnes a year.

Rio chief exec Jakob Stausholm has a challenging to-do list and atop it sits the troubled $10 billion Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold project.

The next three to six months will be crucial to the future of the vast copper-gold mine, as the companies behind the operation negotiate with the government.

Opponents say New Delhi's projects would cut through ecologically sensitive areas, such as the Mollem National Park.

The government is considering cancelling and replacing the development and financial plan for the giant copper mine.