WHAT ARE THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S OBJECTIVES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Rotary supports activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance environmental sustainability, and foster harmony between people and the environment. The Rotary Foundation seeks interventions that have a positive, measurable, and sustainable influence. We enable members and partners to protect, preserve, and conserve the environment through a variety of project pathways in order to:
I. Conserve nature and biodiversity, from species to landscape-scale protection
II. Mitigate climate change by reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions or ensuring that they are absorbed or stored in natural carbon sinks
III. Facilitate sustainable and adaptable livelihoods with smaller ecological footprints that maintain people’s social well-being in compatibility with flourishing natural systems
IV. Strengthen environmental equity by addressing socio-environmental issues that disproportionally affect marginalized communities For a project to be eligible for an environment global grant, its projected outcome must match one or more of the four global objectives listed here and the other criteria described in these guidelines.
Here is more detail about these four environment area global objectives and what they mean for qualifying projects:
I. Nature and Biodiversity Conservation: Biodiversity loss affects our planet at every scale, and because we are connected ecologically, nearly every family of organisms. It also affects the socio-ecological systems that human society depends upon. Humanity is closely linked to nature through our food, water, shelter, consumption, and production, and we can protect nature through these links as well. Our priority is action that strengthens conservation and safeguards nature, in terms of species, habitats, water resources, environmental services, biodiverse ecosystems, and whole ecoregions.
II. Climate Change Mitigation: The growing challenge of global climate change necessitates mitigation measures to confront the ways in which humans cause excess greenhouse gases (GHGs) to be released and accumulated in the atmosphere. Projects can contribute to climate mitigation by controlling the emissions of principal greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20), as well as industrial gases CFCs, HFCs, and PFCs. Each gas varies in abundance, cycle, global distribution, and potency for trapping heat, which means a variety of mitigation opportunities. We want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the source, reduce fossil fuel burning, enhance sinks for the gases’ biochemical absorption, or protect and prevent the release of existing carbon and methane supplies. Natural or nature-friendly climate solutions are encouraged as an effective multi-faceted method.
III. Sustainable Livelihoods: Sustainable livelihoods include lifestyle practices and skills helping communities overcome external stress and avoid environmental crises, and life options to maintain or improve social well-being without exploiting their supply of natural resources. Environmental problem- Environment Guidelines for Global Grant Funding (August 2022) 3 solving can be tied to socioeconomic, cultural, or behavioral dimensions that lead to sustainable change. Reducing dependence on resource-intensive activities and nonrenewable resources in favor of activities with a smaller ecological footprint supports overall resilience and leads to sustainable livelihoods. Ultimately, this prevents interference with societal necessities like healthy soil and water and helps people with climate adaptation.
IV. Environmental Equity: Environmental equity starts with having a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment to live in. Access to environmental benefits, opportunities for sustainable development, and protection from environmental harm should be equally available to all people, especially those populations who are currently marginalized and have been historically disenfranchised.