By Carl W. Treleaven
The problem of climate change is very real, and Rotarians around the world are stepping up to address it. But how effective are we? What would need to happen for Rotarians to have a dramatically greater impact, and how could we make it easier for them to contribute? What are the most effective actions we can take?
These questions will be explored at a summit in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, immediately before the Rotary International Convention in June. Co-hosted by ESRAG (the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group) and RAGCED (the Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development), the summit is an opportunity for anyone interested in the environment and economic development to engage in meaningful discussions. If this resonates with you, mark your calendar for Friday, June 20th.
This is the first in a four-part series designed to initiate a conversation leading up to the Calgary summit. Let’s explore some of the key questions that will be addressed.
1: What’s the Challenge for Rotarians in Addressing Climate Change?
Over the past 30 years, progress has been made in addressing climate change, but it has not been fast enough. While multiple international treaties have been signed, their results have been limited. Additionally, economic development has often offset progress—countries growing their economies tend to increase their carbon emissions.
On the technological front, solutions such as solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, and geo-engineering technologies have emerged, holding promise for the future. However, the challenge remains in making these technologies practical, affordable, and widely distributed.
At the club level, Rotarians face a more specific challenge: how can busy Rotary Club members best use their time to make a lasting impact? Many clubs, including my own, organize projects like trash pickups. While these efforts benefit communities and foster relationships among members, they have two major drawbacks:
- They do not fully utilize members’ vocational skills.
- They do not create a sustainable outcome, as the problem often recurs shortly after the cleanup.
Does this mean clubs should stop organizing trash pickups? Not at all! However, it does highlight the importance of undertaking additional projects that distinguish Rotary from other organizations and create long-term impact.
2: What Makes Rotary Unique?
When I ask Rotarians this question, the common response is “service.” However, every service organization provides service. What sets Rotary apart is how we do service: through our respective vocations.
Paul Harris, Rotary’s founder, had two brilliant insights:
- A Network of Diverse Professions
He envisioned a club where each member represented a different business or profession. This diversity creates a powerful network of skills, contacts, and expertise that can solve almost any problem. With 1.2 million members worldwide, Rotary has an unparalleled ability to connect specialists to tackle global challenges. - Applying Vocational Skills to Social Problems
Rotary’s strength lies in mobilizing this network to address critical social issues. The Rotary Foundation emphasizes the importance of members contributing their expertise rather than just fundraising.
So, how does this relate to climate change and economic development? How do we ensure that the projects we undertake have a truly sustainable impact? Rotary’s contributions include:
- Leveraging the vocational skills of Rotarians worldwide.
- Utilizing Rotary’s extensive global network.
- Bringing key stakeholders to the table, as seen in Rotary’s successful polio eradication efforts.
- Tapping into the resources of the Rotary Foundation.
- Using scholarships as a powerful tool for change.
With these “tools” in hand, the next question is: how can we maximize our impact?
3: How Can We Have the Most Impact Per Hour of Effort?
Rotary is a decentralized organization, which allows clubs to focus on the issues most important to their members. While this is a strength, it can also result in efforts that, while meaningful locally, do not create significant global change. How can we sharpen our focus?
A useful concept is the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule. It suggests that, of all possible solutions to a problem, approximately 20% of them will generate 80% of the desired results.
Applying this to Rotary, imagine that environmental and economic development projects fall into 50 different categories. The Pareto Principle suggests that 10 of those categories will yield 80% of the potential impact.
If we can identify and prioritize those high-value projects, we can create a “menu” of scalable initiatives that clubs can easily adopt. The Calgary summit will work toward identifying such projects. Some possible “conversation starters” include:
- Partnering with third-party organizations to develop pre-packaged projects for clubs to implement.
- Developing an environmental and economic development scholarship program similar to the Rotary Peace Fellows program.
- Establishing Rotary Climate Change or Economic Development Centers at universities worldwide.
While these ideas offer exciting possibilities, another key challenge remains: how do we reduce barriers to participation?
4: How Do We Make It Easier for Rotarians to Take Meaningful Action on Climate Change?
Rotary Foundation grants have a tremendous impact, but they can be complex to prepare and administer. How can we streamline opportunities for clubs to contribute?
Possible solutions include:
- Pre-defined financial contribution opportunities. We could identify approximately 10 high-impact projects and encourage clubs to support them financially.
- A job bank for Rotarians. This could connect members with opportunities to apply their skills to climate and economic development initiatives.
In my professional life, I constantly ask my team, “How can we make it easier for our customers to do business with us?” The same principle should apply to the Rotary Foundation: how can we make it easier for clubs and Rotarians to contribute money and expertise to projects that will create a major impact?
5: What Comes Next?
This is the first article in a four-part series leading up to the Calgary summit. The next three articles will explore:
- How Rotary’s scholarship experience can contribute to solving climate and economic challenges.
- How we can simplify the process for clubs to contribute money and expertise to high-impact projects.
- How Rotary Action Groups can supercharge Rotary’s role in addressing climate change and economic development.
The Calgary Summit
If this topic interests you, I encourage you to attend the Calgary summit and share this discussion with fellow Rotarians.
Climate change is a pressing global issue that demands our attention. With Rotary’s worldwide network of 1.2 million experts, we have the potential to make a far greater impact than we ever imagined. Now is the time to figure out how to turn that potential into action.
