Emine Erdogan: Zero Waste a key pillar of climate action

Global stakeholders gather in Istanbul ahead of COP31

Erdogan also thanked the Zero Waste Foundation, supporting ministries, the Istanbul Governor’s Office and all those involved in organising the forum, saying she hoped the “synergy” generated would contribute to new beginnings for a shared future.

The forum is supported by UN agencies including UNEP and UN-Habitat. Under the theme, Road to Antalya: Zero Waste as Climate Action, the forum aims to build global momentum ahead of COP31, which Türkiye will host in Antalya in November.

Participants include government ministers, mayors and city leaders, UN officials, NGOs, private sector representatives, investors and academics from around the world.

The programme includes discussions on circular economy and resource efficiency, food waste and methane reduction, energy and industrial transformation, sustainable cities and local action, financing and scaling zero-waste solutions, and innovation in waste management technologies.

Three high-level ministerial sessions will also be held on industry and technology, agriculture and forestry, and energy and natural resources. The event comes as global waste generation exceeds 2.1 billion tonnes annually and is projected to nearly double by 2050.

The United Nations declared March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste in 2022, in an initiative led by Türkiye, and has also highlighted zero-waste efforts as part of achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.