Environment and Sustainability
Environment and Sustainability 2022 - 2023
This Committee encourages Rotary Clubs to promote awareness amongst Rotarians, to foster concern for the global environment and sustainable development. Sustainable development projects promote economic and social progress that alleviates poverty and preserves the environment for future generations. Rotary International projects of this nature support agencies of the United Nations, governments, and community organizations having similar aims of creating a cleaner and more sustainable environment. Included in the charter is preserving heritage sites (including our indigenous past), buildings of historical significance and water ways.
Chair
David Sanders - Wendouree Breakfast
Supporting the environment has become Rotary's newest area of Focus. Areas of Focus are categories of service activities supported by global grants, and global communities. It joins Rotary's original 6 Areas of Focus, which are
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention; Disease Prevention and Treatment; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene; Maternal and Child Health; Basic Education and Literacy; Community Economic Development.
It is hoped that every Club in D9780 will have an Environment Champion who will inspire their members to get involved in Environmental projects.
We have a strong Environmental focus, and are working to protect and support our local environment. You will find links to many resources in the left hand column, that will be helpful in finding ways to support and sustain our environment. If you are looking for ways to support the environment in your own community here are some ideas to get you started.
We also have a keen interest in Bees, with a number of our members introducing hives into their Gardens. We are are consciously seeking to be involved in projects that support the environment. We also plan to provide opportunities for interested people to join our meetings when we have specialist Guest Speakers that have expertise in environmental issues. Every gardener knows the importance of bees to pollinate our veggies and flowers. Without them our food production globally would falter. Our pro-active approach to raising awareness of bees include:
- suggesting garden plantings that encourage bees
- working with community groups to create bee friendly gardens
- supporting the creation and use of Bee Motels, that give bees that do not belong to a large hive a safe place to rest
PP Barb Sheehan, Highton Rotary, is the Environment Champion for her Club, and heads up the Bees and Pollinators Team on the Environment and Sustainability Committee. You will find a link to the Page about Bees and Pollinators on the left hand side of this page.
Rotary International has allocated more than $18 million in 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, and with the global population reaching near eight billion, protecting the environment is increasingly important.
Back in 1990-91, then RI President Paulo V.C. Costa made the environment one of his primary causes, creating the a Preserve Planet Earth Committee, which looked at ways clubs and members could conduct environmental initiatives. Rotary has finally caught up to his vision says Past RI President Ian H.S. Riseley, Chair of the Environmental Issues task force, which championed the new area of focus. Ian Riseley, a member of Sandringham Rotary in Melbourne says “As a lifelong environmentalist, I’m delighted that our great organization has recognized that the environment is a worthy and appropriate destination for our project activity,”
So are we!! Please connect with us if you would like to know more about our projects, join in volunteering with us, or would just like to know more about Rotary.