By Mark Daniel Maloney —
When my tenure as President of Rotary International began in 2019, I made a call to action to our members in the form of a theme: Rotary Connects the World. To me, that was more than a slogan, it reflected my belief in Rotary, that we have a grand opportunity to build on our deep, personal relationships with each other and our historic ties to organizations like the United Nations to make lasting change across the globe.
In 2020, as my term was coming to an end, Rotary made one such commitment to protecting the environment, by making it a new area of focus. This reflected my personal belief in environmental stewardship, one that my wife, Gay, and I have kept by establishing a legacy fund for environmental projects.
This past November, I had the privilege of representing Rotary at a global event that further aligned with these beliefs and passions. I led a delegation of highly informed and remarkably dedicated Rotary members at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan. These members, led by Alberto Palombo, Cadre technical lead for the environment and Mohamed Delawar, a member of the Rotary Representative Network, demonstrated just how far Rotary has come in five short years to expand upon Rotary’s historic commitment to environmental protection.
Since then, our global network of 1.2 million members has taken on the challenge of environmental protection with energy and creativity by addressing some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste and plastic pollution. 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.
Here is what I took away from the experience:
- Rotary has a unique role to play: COP29 brought together many established leaders, government officials, and well-resourced organizations deeply entrenched in environmental and climate change efforts. As a newer player in this space, Rotary brings a fresh and complementary approach to the table. Our strength lies in grassroots mobilization and empowering local communities. Through our grantmaking and service-project models, our members provide the tools and resources necessary for communities to lead meaningful climate action from the ground up, ensuring that solutions are both impactful and sustainable.
- Youth engagement is crucial: Youth participation at COP29 was both inspiring and energizing. Young people are not only at the forefront of climate activism, bringing fresh perspectives and boundless energy, but they also have the most at stake as the future stewards of our planet. Their passionate investment in addressing climate change reminds us of our responsibility to safeguard future generations. The work of Rotaract members and Rotary’s continued investments in youth programs are essential for nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders.
- The role of finance: One of the key focuses of COP29 was fostering global investment in climate solutions through high-level negotiations and collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and development organizations. The discussions underscored the urgent need for innovative and scalable financing models to support sustainable development projects and climate resilience initiatives. While smaller in scale, The Rotary Foundation can continue to play a role in this landscape by providing essential funding through our global grants, enabling grassroots climate projects that directly benefit local communities and contribute to broader environmental goals.
As I reflect on my experience at COP29, I am more convinced than ever of Rotary’s unique opportunity, and responsibility, to ensure that future generations inherit a beautiful, sustainable planet. 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 creating that future.
I am proud of all of the Rotary members from across the world who have stepped up to this challenge. When I look back on more than 40 years in Rotary, a journey that began with my attendance of the 1985 Rotary Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, where Albert Sabin inspired Rotary to take up the challenge of vaccinating all the world’s children, I have too many fond memories to list in full.
I have been blessed to be part of Rotary’s historic promise to the world’s children to eradicate polio. I am also deeply hopeful that Rotary will connect the world for decades to come, helping to protect our planet and build a lasting peace for all humanity to share.
Mark Daniel Maloney is Trustee Chair of The Rotary Foundation and served as the 2019-20 Rotary International President. He is a principal in the law firm of Blackburn, Maloney and Schuppert, LLC, with a focus on taxation, estate planning, and agricultural law. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Alabama State Bar Association, the Alabama Law Institute, and is a past president of the Morgan County Bar Association.
https://blog.rotary.org/2025/03/18/connecting-and-protecting-our-irreplacable-planet/