05.09.2026 17:50
The Zero Waste Foundation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and the United Nations Turkey, addressed the financing of climate action and financing mechanisms that will support Turkey's green transformation process in the program titled "Towards COP31: Climate Finance Policy Dialogue".
The zero waste approach, put forward by Her Excellency Ms. Emine Erdogan, Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chair of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, and Honorary Chair of the Zero Waste Foundation, which is based on preventing waste, using resources efficiently, promoting sustainable production and consumption models, and strengthening the circular economy, stands out as one of the important elements of the holistic transformation approach addressed together with climate action.
In the preparation process for COP31, which will be held in Antalya under the leadership of the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum, this approach is also important in terms of implementing climate goals and strengthening the financing dimension of sustainable transformation.
"TOWARDS COP31: CLIMATE FINANCE POLICY DIALOGUE" HELD In this context, the "Towards COP31: Climate Finance Policy Dialogue," organized in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and the United Nations Türkiye, was held at the Ziraat Bank General Directorate located in the Istanbul Finance Center.
The policy dialogue, held with the aim of strengthening Türkiye's climate finance capacity in the process leading to COP31, bringing public and private sector investments together more strongly with climate goals, and improving cooperation between national and international financial actors, brought together representatives from the public sector, finance, international organizations, the private sector, academia, and civil society.
The program was attended by Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, President of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol, Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye Fatih Karahan, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Türkiye Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support Marcos Neto, World Bank Türkiye Country Director Jean-Christophe Carret, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Vice President Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Ziraat Bank General Manager Alpaslan Çakar, and President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş, as well as representatives from Ziraat Bank, VakıfBank, Halkbank, Türkiye İş Bankası, Türk Eximbank, QNB and Akbank, along with representatives from universities, TİKA, ambassadors, international organizations, the private sector, sector associations, and non-governmental organizations.
"THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC RESOURCES MUST BE INCREASED, PRIVATE CAPITAL MUST BE MOBILIZED" Speaking at the opening of the program, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek stated that the main issue in climate finance is closing the gap between climate commitments and the financing needed to implement these goals, saying, "Istanbul is a city of bridges. It connects continents, people, and ideas. This is particularly meaningful today because countries are seeking ways to close the gap between their climate commitments and the financing they need to implement their goals."
Şimşek emphasized that many countries have put forward comprehensive climate goals, but the real challenge is achieving these goals, noting that public finance plays an important role in meeting this need, but public resources alone are not sufficient, and stated, "No finance minister has an extra few billion dollars at hand. Therefore, the main issue is how we can increase the impact of public resources and how we can ensure private investors have confidence to invest."
Şimşek stated that Türkiye's 2053 net zero emission target sets the direction, and the National Green Finance Strategy provides a clear roadmap in line with this target, adding that the plan is being implemented together with public institutions, regulatory bodies, banks, and companies.
"CLIMATE FINANCE IS AT THE CENTER OF ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL POLICYMAKING" United Nations Resident Coordinator to Türkiye Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi stated that climate finance is no longer at the periphery of climate discussions but at the center of economic and financial policymaking, saying, "The fundamental question is no longer whether we should invest in climate action. The real question is how we can increase the scale, speed, and quality of the financing we need to turn climate goals into investments, and investments into real-world results."
Ahonsi drew attention to the fact that climate change is not only an environmental problem, but also a systemic, economic, and financial risk. Ahonsi said, "Climate change affects fiscal balances, debt sustainability, financial stability, infrastructure, food and energy security, businesses, and livelihoods. At the same time, the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy also presents a significant investment opportunity."
Ahonsi emphasized that financial systems must be aligned with climate goals from the design stage to implement climate goals, and in this context, regulation, taxation, investment decisions, risk management, capital markets, transparency, and project preparation processes must be addressed together.
"CLIMATE FINANCE IS THE POWER THAT WILL IMPLEMENT CLIMATE ACTION" President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş stated that climate finance is not merely a complementary element of climate policies but the fundamental force that implements these policies, saying, "Today, we are here not only to discuss climate finance but to transform climate action into a change that is financeable, implementable, and measurable."
Ağırbaş emphasized that the climate crisis is no longer a problem of the future but has become one of today's economic issues, stating, "Finance is not an element added to climate policy. Finance is the power that will put policy into practice."
Ağırbaş pointed out the importance of the leadership of Her Excellency Ms. Emine Erdogan in the global spread of the Zero Waste Movement, saying, "Her Excellency Ms. Emine Erdogan played a pioneering role in transforming Türkiye's zero waste vision into a global movement. Her approach offers us an important perspective: Change becomes permanent only when we bring all segments of society together around the same goal."
We need to carry the same understanding into climate finance,” he stated.
Ağırbaş noted that public resources, private capital, international financial institutions, and new financing models must be brought together within the same system in climate finance, saying, “We must bring together public resources, private capital, international financial institutions, and new financing models within a single system.”
A COMMON GROUND FOR SOLUTIONS IN CLIMATE FINANCE In the continuation of the program, topics regarding the development of Türkiye’s capacity in the field of climate finance, bringing public resources and private capital together more effectively, and developing investable climate projects were discussed.
In the policy dialogue held in the format of a one-day high-level roundtable meeting, six thematic working groups were established to strengthen Türkiye’s climate finance ecosystem.
In the working groups, the topics of Financial Regulation and Taxonomy, Green Finance Instruments, Financially Viable Project Pipelines, Blended Finance and Risk-Sharing Instruments, Mobilizing Private Capital, and Sustainability Reporting, Assurance, and Reliable Climate Data were addressed.
During the studies, barriers to accessing climate finance in Türkiye, investment opportunities, and solution proposals for the more effective use of financing instruments were evaluated.
CONCRETE POLICY PROPOSALS ON THE ROAD TO COP31 The assessments and recommendations put forward within the scope of the \"Policy Dialogue on Climate Finance: Towards COP31\" are intended to contribute to Türkiye's policies and practices in the field of climate finance.
It is planned that the policy recommendations developed within the scope of the dialogue will be shared with the COP31 Presidency, the Office of the COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, international financial institutions, and multilateral development banks.
The program also aims to contribute to the work carried out in the fields of green growth, climate resilience, and sustainable finance in line with Türkiye's 12th Development Plan (2024-2028) and the National Green Finance Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2030).
The policy dialogue held in Istanbul towards COP31 established an important common working ground for Türkiye's sustainable and climate-resilient future, in terms of bringing climate goals together with financing, developing investable projects, and strengthening cooperation among the public sector, the private sector, and the international financial community.