By ESRAG’s Communications Team
ESRAG Chair Dr. Yasar Atacik is leading panels with Rotary Foundation Chair Barry Rassin on resilient cities and with Rotary General Secretary and CEO John Hewko on Finance.
For the first time, Rotary’s President, Foundation Chair, and CEO are all attending the UN Climate Conference. Rotary International is hosting eleven days of presentations at Rotary’s Blue Zone pavilion, spotlighting the synergy of climate solutions, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Rotary’s unique resources as a worldwide network of local humanitarians.
Many ESRAG leaders including ESRAG Chair Dr. Yasar Atacik, Past Chair Dr. Chris Puttock, Dr Mina Venkataraman, Eng. Felix Kimani Kariuki, and Salvador Rico have been working around the clock to help Rotary organize expert panels. Two of the exciting examples:
- Dr. Yasar Atacik and Rotary Secretary and CEO John Hewko lead a panel on Financing the Transition on Dec. 4
- Dr. Mina Venkataraman leads the “Land Use – Every Acre Counts” panel on Dec. 9 with panelists including Dr. Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division of the United Nations Environment Programme and Lola Cabnal, Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Caucus of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC
ESRAG Directors Mina Venkataraman and Carlos Montoya during a planning meeting with the 12 Rotaractors who were chosen by Rotary to attend COP 28
In addition, ESRAG Director Dr. Mina Venkataraman and fellow ESRAG members will be at Rotary’s pavilion in the Green Zone to engage stakeholders, help them discover Rotary’s capabilities, and explore partnerships to accelerate climate solutions. We’re thrilled that twelve Rotaractors are contributing their passion and creativity, including ESRAG Director Carlos Montoya.
The Blue Zone is not open to participants without credentials, so it won’t be possible for those of us outside to view the presentations. But we encourage ESRAG members to share their COP experiences through ESRAG’s social media! I know several of you are attending COP 28 as representatives of governments, NGOs, business, and other sectors. If you belong to one of ESRAG’s communications WhatsApp groups, just post there and our Communication Team will see it.
You can also use this form to send us your comments and the Comms team will reach out to you to get photos or short videos. We look forward to using these in our blog posts and newsletter following COP. We are eager to hear your ideas on ways that the Rotary network can achieve a big impact on the climate crisis.
We’ve prepared a schedule of social media posts showcasing powerful climate solutions you and fellow members of the Rotary family are already implementing around the world. We’ve got two projects to share under each of the daily themes of COP 28.
Please follow ESRAG’s posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram, comment, and share them! Reading about the dedication and impact of the Rotary family will inspire people in your network to join the cause. Together, let’s create hope in the world about climate solutions!
