$440 million was raised last year by the Rotary Foundation. Those funds supported 2000 global grants which were applied to the Seven Areas of Focus, to work toward a “problem free world.” These grants, focusing on the Seven Areas of Focus furthers Foundation’s commitment to improving sound environmental behavior. John Germ, the chair of the Rotary Foundation has called for a summit next week in the Philippines to chart the Foundation’s role in bringing to fruition the goals of the just concluded climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, also known as COP26. A major goal of the conference was to create an agreement to keep the world’s temperature at 1.5dg.
Rotarians should not find this forthcoming climate summit in the Philippines surprising, as the Rotary Foundation has for the past five years spent more than 20 million dollars (US) on environmental causes such as clean water, hygiene and sanitation. Indeed, much focus has been placed on the regrowth of mangrove forests all over the world to improve air and water quality.
Written by Christopher W Knapp, District 6000 Foundation Chair 2018-2022