Rotary Climate Action Team Network

Climate action is our call - not a political debate

702
Rotary clubs
92
countries
2B+
people to engage
Take the 3-step challenge
Sign the Climate Pledge

“My country is going to be gone if we do nothing. I’m not talking politics — I’m talking about our world and how to make it a better place. Rotarians are people of action, and we are committed to following the science and promoting solutions.”

– Past RI President Barry Rassin

The RCAT Challenge

Three steps to climate impact

1

Sign the global climate pledge

Join the race to engage 2 billion people in climate action by making a concrete commitment on behalf of your Rotary Club.

Sign as a club or individual
2

Take climate action

Start a Climate Action Team, join the RCAT Network of 92 countries, attend monthly webinars, and launch climate projects in your community.

  • Browse or submit a project
  • Request a speaker for your club
Start a team
3

Share results, connect globally

Upload your projects to inspire clubs worldwide. Aligns with the 4-Way Test, the 7 Areas of Focus, and the UN’s 17 SDGs.

  • Join RCAT forums and recordings
  • Connect with RCAT on LinkedIn
Share a project

Use AI to See Which Boxes Your Project Checks

Our 4-7-8-17 AI Navigator helps you quickly map your project to the Four-Way Test, Rotary’s Areas of Focus, the Pillars of Positive Peace, and the UN SDGs. Just describe your idea and see which “boxes” light up—then use human wisdom and the Four-Way Test to refine it.

Launch the 4-7-8-17 AI Navigator
A Rotary-inspired framework to design, rate, and grow high-impact projects—grounded in truth, fairness, peace, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The 4-7-8-17 Global Success Program

The 4-7-8-17 Global Success Program helps Rotary clubs, schools, and community partners design projects that pass the Four-Way Test, align with Rotary’s 7 Areas of Focus, advance the 8 Pillars of Positive Peace, and support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Try the AI 4-7-8-17 Navigator
Explore The Panama Project

The Panama Project – Our First Living 4-7-8-17 Showcase

The Panama Project in Bocas del Toro is our first full 4-7-8-17 “living laboratory.” Built as part of the 7 Seas Initiative, it demonstrates how one integrated model can deliver environmental, educational, health, and economic benefits for coastal communities.

This project uses the 4-7-8-17 banner to light up every way it creates impact—from Rotary Areas of Focus to the UN SDGs.

  • Coral and mangrove reforestation
  • Turtle protection and marine conservation
  • Solar innovation and clean energy pilots
  • Education & health programs for local families
  • Local business and community development
Explore ThePanamaProject.org

Get Involved

  1. Invite your leadership team to rate current projects with 4-7-8-17.
  2. Identify easy upgrades that align with more Areas of Focus & SDGs.
  3. Plan a visit or virtual exchange with The Panama Project or Democracy in a Box.

Latest News

Rotary                           May 2026

PEACE AND CLIMATE

“A stable climate is the missing ninth pillar of Positive Peace”

“It’s foundational,” Alison Sutherland wrote about the eight pillars that support Positive Peace. I believe, however, that this list is missing a critical ninth pillar: a stable climate.

A warming planet is causing increasing heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and crop failures, which in turn are causing a rise in conflicts and migration. These things all work against peace and make the eight other pillars much more difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

Without a stable climate, there will be less and less peace. Rotary, working within the
environment area of focus, can help prevent still more warming and climate disruption. The children of the world are hoping we have the wisdom to do so.

Learn more about how you and your club can help by visiting the Rotary climate action team website at rcatnow.com.

Mitch Williams, Midhurst, Ontario
Chair, RCAT Network

Watch the Video
Featured. Rotary Magazine

Chair Mitch Williams' letter to the editor — May 2026

RCAT Network chair Mitch Williams makes the case that a stable climate is the missing ninth pillar of Positive Peace - and that Rotarians have both the platform and the responsibility to act.

Video June 2025

Katharine Hayhoe at the RI Convention in Calgary

Acclaimed atmospheric scientist, UN Champion of the Earth, and author-on why climate change matters here and now. Her TED talk has more than 4 million views.

Watch the Video
New book
7 Steps to a Climate-Friendly and Sustainable Rotary Club
By Rotarian Michael Koch (ESRAG Europe). 120+ examples from clubs worldwide. All profits donated to Rotary carbon-reduction projects. Price reflects the 2040 net-zero target.
Buy the Book
A man with glasses and a beard wearing a black jacket.

Remembering Past RCAT Board Chair John Mathers

In memoriam

1946-2023

A founding voice of the RCAT Network and tireless advocate for climate action within Rotary International. His legacy continues to inspire clubs around the world.

Read His Obituary
Read about his Legacy in Rotary

Ready to make a difference?

Join 702 Rotary clubs in 92 countries taking real climate action.
The challenge starts with one pladge.

Sign the Global Climate Pledge