Supporting the Environment Becomes a New Area of Focus

The Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors have both unanimously approved adding a new area of focus: supporting the environment.

More than $18 million in Foundation global grant funding has been allocated to environment-related projects over the past five years. Creating a distinct area of focus to support the environment will give Rotary members even more ways to bring about positive change in the world and increase our impact.

Supporting the environment becomes Rotary's seventh area of focus, which are categories of service activities supported by global grants. It joins peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation, and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and community economic development.

Grant applications for projects will be accepted beginning on 1 July 2021. Gifts and commitments from Rotarians and others will be sought to provide global grant support for the new area of focus.

More information about this new cause will be announced soon.

1.Sustainable Communities Committee 

The ECC aims to help Rotary and Rotaract members and clubs create more sustainable communities through their Rotary work and everyday lives. The committee is a group of concerned Rotarians with members from both Rotary and Rotaract clubs.

Committee members see ‘sustainability’ as having several wide-ranging, yet connected meanings. These include something that is self-sustaining or self-efficient, something planned for long-term use or something ‘good for the environment’. These multiple meanings of sustainability are relevant to Rotary in many ways.

The Committee promotes and supports projects and initiatives within and outside the District which have an environmentally sustainable focus. This includes projects which aim to protect or restore the local environment and ecosystems, those which make use of sustainable technologies or those promoting the uptake of everyday sustainable practices.

2.How the Sustainable Communities Committee can help clubs

• Offer tree planting days 
• Provide practical resources

• Planning for Success and Environmental Sustainability resources (guide, templates and worked examples)
• Tree Planting Guide
• Green Tips
• UNEP/ESRAG World Environment Day Handbook
• Guest speakers

• Provide guest speakers
• Advise on environmental projects
• Conduct environmental workshops and forums
• Coordinate the District EnviroClub Awards

3.How clubs can get involved

•  Invite speakers from environmental groups to speak to the club
• Join ESRAG (Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group): https://www.esrag.org/
• Create a club Environment Committee and an Environmental Coordinator position
• Apply for a District EnviroClub Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold)

18.4 million US Dollars in Foundation global grant funding has been allocated to environment-related causes in the past five years through our support of community economic development and water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.