Rotary’s presence showcases high-level support for the environment
Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Mark Maloney led a Rotary International delegation joining more than 56,000 participants at the 29th United Nations climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan in November. Delegates at COP29 (short for Conference of the Parties) came from 193 countries and thousands of nongovernmental organizations, companies, and media.
“COP29 presented an invaluable opportunity for us to interact with key players in the environment space and share Rotary’s grassroots model of community action,” Maloney says.
The high-level delegation at COP29, appointed by Rotary International president Stephanie Urchick, showcased Rotary’s continued commitment to protecting the environment. Rotary delegates aimed to build on prior successes by connecting with organizations that align with Rotary’s focus on the environment and finding possible partners for future projects.
The Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Mark Maloney (top right) talks with officials with the Green Climate Fund at the 29th United Nations climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, 11-22 November 2024.
“Rotary’s ability to mobilize communities, build relationships at the local and global level, and provide grant funding for our members’ impactful projects positions us to continue to play an important role [in protecting the environment],” Maloney says.
In addition to Maloney, RI delegates included Mohamed Delawar Aly, Rotary Representative to the Arab League, and Alberto Palombo, the Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers’ lead for the environment. They joined other Rotary members from around the world. Rotary members in Baku hosted an event for the visitors during their stay in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Maloney met with Kitty van der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director of Partnerships for UNICEF, Rotary’s polio eradication partner. The two discussed how the fight against polio and work in other areas intersect with climate action.
In 2020, as RI president, Maloney proposed the addition of the environment as an area of focus, after years of advocacy by Rotary members. Since July 2021, The Rotary Foundation has supported the work of clubs and districts to protect the environment. Rotary projects have included restoring mangroves, saving forests, and cultivating coral reefs.
In 2024, Rotary announced a strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme that empowered members of Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs to adopt bodies of water. The partnership provides guidance from UNEP’s experts, step-by-step instructions, and other resources.
The United Nations climate change conferences are the organization’s largest annual meetings, and among the largest international meetings in the world. The conferences serve as opportunities for the governments involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the “parties” in “Conference of the Parties”) to negotiate ways to address climate change and measure the progress they’ve made so far. This was the fourth Rotary delegation to attend the UN climate conference.
COP30 will be held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. Brazil is the home country of RI’s 2025-26 president, Mário César Martins de Camargo.
— February 2025