This report is from Judy Charnaud, our Environment and Sustainability Chair.
As you know Rotary now has 7 Areas of Focus, having added a new one, in June 2020, Protecting the Environment.
This means that the Rotary International Areas of Focus now align with all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals which were adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
District 9685 now has an Environment Chair, Melanie Lewis, on the Board of Directors and I have agreed to be part of her working group.
Protecting the environment remains integral to all other Area of Focus but grants can now be applied for specifically for environmental protection.
Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group, ESRAG, has developed 6 broad themes under the heading Environment:
- Circular Economy
- Climate
- Food Systems
- Pollution
- Sustainable Living.
I have recently completed the very interesting and comprehensive ESRAG Environmental Ambassadors Training program so the e-club can expect to hear a lot more from me in the coming months.
District Environment Awards.
The District EnviroClub Awards have been adapted from a successful environmental awards program in the United Kingdom. In this initiative, clubs register environmentally sustainable activities, projects, programs and events and are encouraged to improve these through a series of awards, starting with a Bronze Award and moving towards Silver and Gold Awards. Individual Rotarians are also encouraged to be catalysts for environmental action in their communities.
We are all aware of the many environmental problems facing the world, such as climate change, pollution, water shortages, loss of habitat, energy security, loss of biodiversity and waste management. Rotary is in an ideal position to take leadership to ensure that the world we leave to the next generations is no worse, hopefully better, than when we inherited it.
Benefits of being an EnviroClub
- It will give recognition to your club for its existing environmental activities and the incentive to further develop these initiatives.
- Environmental sustainability is an important and current issue worldwide, affecting everyone. Being a recipient of EnviroClub Award may help to make your club more relevant to your members and better engage and retain members.
- Recognition of your environmental initiatives through the EnviroClub Award may also attract new members, increase income to your club through community grants and lead to new partnerships with Rotary clubs, businesses and community groups in your local community.
Or club is well on the way to the Bronze and Silver Awards!
Our club has 16 RAWCS registered projects and many of them have an environmental aspect e.g. vegetable gardens, recycling used sewing machines, sustainable bee keeping, water management and tree planting. With this in mind I have completed the application for a Bronze Award for our club and I am certain once that has been attained, we can go for the Silver then Gold Awards.
I only referred to 5 of our Club Projects for the Bronze Award, choosing them in order of registration with RAWCS. Other projects with an environmental aspect will be mentioned in the Silver and Gold applications.
As well as club projects we have to demonstrate that members are engaged in environmental initiatives at home or in their local district, e.g. Installation of solar panels, Clean up Australia day, community tree planting, World Water Day, bird watching, liaison with other Rotary Clubs or schools. I am sure many of us are doing some of these things already so please let me know what specific actions you have taken in regards to environmental sustainability.
We aim to be the first club in the District to attain the Gold Award. Your environmental working group, Judy Charnaud, Ross Johnson and Doug Vincent, are working on it! If you have anything you want to add please do so – all comments welcomed!
