13.05.2026 13:20
Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Movement, made a statement regarding the Zero Waste Forum to be organized by the Zero Waste Foundation on June 5-7: "Thousands of representatives from over 160 countries will gather in Istanbul for our common home, the world. I hope this summit, which I believe will also make significant contributions to the COP31 process, will strengthen environmental awareness, expand the understanding of shared responsibility, and support lasting collaborations in the fight against the climate crisis."
The Zero Waste Movement, founded under the vision and patronage of Emine Erdoğan, the founder of the Zero Waste Movement, President of the United Nations Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board, and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, is now growing on a global scale and preparing for one of the world's most comprehensive environmental and climate gatherings.
The Zero Waste Forum, to be organized by the Zero Waste Foundation in Istanbul on June 5-7, 2026, aims to place the zero waste approach not only as an environmental policy but as a strategic transformation model that produces concrete results in combating climate change, at the center of the international agenda.
Held under the theme "The Road to Antalya: Zero Waste as Climate Action," the forum will be one of the most important platforms accelerating global implementation readiness in the lead-up to the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which Turkey will host in Antalya from November 9-20, 2026.
EMİNE ERDOĞAN: THOUSANDS OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM OVER 160 COUNTRIES WILL MEET IN ISTANBUL FOR OUR COMMON HOME, THE WORLD
Emine Erdoğan, Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, commenting on the Zero Waste Forum, said, "I wish that the International Zero Waste Forum, to be held for the second time by our Zero Waste Foundation, will lead to auspicious outcomes for our country and humanity. At the forum, brought to life with the understanding of 'The Road to Antalya: Zero Waste as Climate Action,' thousands of representatives from over 160 countries will meet in Istanbul for our common home, the world. I hope this summit, which I believe will also make significant contributions to the COP31 process, strengthens environmental awareness, fosters a sense of shared responsibility, and supports lasting collaborations in the fight against the climate crisis."
ISTANBUL TO BECOME NEW MEETING POINT FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE DIPLOMACY
The Zero Waste Forum is expected to bring together over 5,000 international guests from more than 160 countries in Istanbul. Within the scope of the forum, it is anticipated that over 100 ministers and more than 200 mayors from around the world will come to Istanbul.
Government representatives, international organizations, private sector leaders, investors, academics, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, city administrators, and youth representatives will come together on the same platform to evaluate zero waste-based climate solutions in a multidimensional way.
The forum is structured not merely as a meeting for exchanging ideas, but as a powerful transformation platform that accelerates implementation readiness, creates partnership mechanisms, and brings cities and countries together around concrete action plans.
CRITICAL THRESHOLD BEFORE COP31
Turkey's hosting of COP31 elevates the role of the zero waste approach within global climate policies to an even more strategic level. In this context, the forum to be held in Istanbul will create an important preparatory ground that strengthens inter-country coordination, increases implementation-focused collaborations, and accelerates the reflection of climate targets on the ground in the lead-up to Antalya.
"ZERO WASTE FORUM, A GLOBAL PLATFORM PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY"
In his evaluation of the forum, Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, emphasized that the zero waste approach is no longer just an element of environmental sustainability but has become a strategic tool with high impact potential in combating climate change, stating the following:
"With the Zero Waste Forum we will organize in Istanbul, our aim is to strengthen implementation-oriented collaborations between countries, cities, and sectors in the lead-up to COP31 and to make zero waste one of the fundamental building blocks of global climate action. On this road to Antalya, we will together build a transformation that produces concrete results with a common mind and collective responsibility."
Emphasizing that the work carried out under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan has created a strong global impact, Ağırbaş underlined that the Zero Waste Forum is a global platform promoting circular economy, resource efficiency, and sustainable lifestyles.
"WE DIRECTLY LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF COMMUNITIES MOST AFFECTED BY THE CLIMATE CRISIS"
Stating that voices from various segments of society are being heard through the work carried out on the road to COP31, Ağırbaş said, "We believe that if we work together with people from different segments and different groups, we can achieve successful results related to our core mission. Within the scope of the forum, we are open to collaboration with all participants who wish to contribute. We directly listen to the voices of communities most affected by the climate crisis. We visited Africa's largest slum in Nairobi. We will invite ten people from the Kibera slum to the Zero Waste Forum. We believe that if we work closely with local governments, we can achieve strong and concrete results from the field. Together with our partners, we want to see a real impact on the ground."
MAIN GOAL OF THE FORUM: TRANSITION FROM COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTATION
The core approach of the Zero Waste Forum 2026 will be to transform environmental commitments into implementable policy tools, city-scale projects, and sector-based transformation models.
In this context, the forum aims to produce concrete outputs on:
- Developing implementation-focused partnerships,
- Creating city action commitments,
- Strengthening financing mechanisms,
- Increasing technology and innovation capacity,
- Disseminating circular economy models,
- Reducing food waste and methane emissions,
- Developing sustainable production and consumption models.
One of the most striking aspects of the forum will be its focus not only on global policy discussions but also on implementable and scalable solutions in the short term.
HIGH-LEVEL MINISTERIAL SESSIONS TO BE HELD
Within the forum program, high-level ministerial sessions will be held for critical sectors.
In this context:
- High-Level Session of Ministers of Industry and Technology,
- High-Level Session of Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry,
- High-Level Session of Ministers of Energy and Natural Resources will be organized.
The sessions will address the integration of the zero waste approach into industrial policies, clean production processes, sustainable agricultural systems, energy efficiency, resource management, technology-based transformation models, and green financing mechanisms.
CRITICAL THEMATIC TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED
During other sessions held throughout the forum, topics such as:
- Circular economy,
- Reduction of plastic waste,
- Sustainable supply chains,
- City-based zero waste practices,
- Resource efficiency,
- Green financing,
- Sustainable production models,
- Waste prevention systems will be comprehensively evaluated.
Solutions aimed particularly at increasing the implementation capacity of cities, international collaborations of local governments, and private sector investments will be among the key agenda items of the forum.
Additionally, the development of scalable intervention models applicable in different countries and scientific data-based implementation guidelines will be targeted.
IMPLEMENTATION COMMITMENTS FOR CITIES WILL BE PREPARED
Special cooperation mechanisms for cities will also be established within the scope of the forum. Participating cities will be invited to develop short-term actionable plans, joint implementation platforms, and international collaborations.
While network structures that accelerate information sharing among municipalities are established, cities will be encouraged to act jointly in waste management, resource efficiency, and sustainable living practices.
ACADEMIA, BUSINESS WORLD, AND CIVIL SOCIETY ON THE SAME PLATFORM
The forum is based not only on public institutions but on a multi-stakeholder transformation model.
In this context: the business world and initiatives will share concrete solution models, academic institutions will provide data, research, and measurement methodologies, investors and financial institutions will work on green transformation financing, civil society organizations will strengthen social participation, and young people and students will be actively included in transformation processes.
For initiatives operating particularly in the field of waste management, the forum will offer significant opportunities in terms of international visibility, investor connections, and new partnerships.
ROADMAP OUTPUTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE END OF THE FORUM
At the end of the forum, comprehensive policy and implementation documents contributing to the global climate agenda will be published.
In this context: the "Road to Antalya Declaration," the City Action Commitments Package, partnership and project development mechanisms, and measurement and accountability notes will be shared with the public.
These documents will serve as key reference materials that strengthen implementation-focused collaborations among countries, cities, private sector, academia, and civil society organizations.
THE CENTRAL EVENT OF ISTANBUL ZERO WASTE WEEK
The Zero Waste Forum will be organized as the central event of Istanbul Zero Waste Week, to be held between June 1-7.
Throughout the week, numerous environmental and sustainability events will take place across Istanbul with the participation of universities, public institutions, municipalities, businesses, and citizens. Thus, Istanbul aims to transform into an exemplary zero waste platform that brings together high-level policy dialogue and social awareness on a global scale.
A NEW IMPLEMENTATION VISION SHAPING CLIMATE ACTION
The Zero Waste Forum is not merely an event but serves as the declaration of a new implementation vision that shapes global climate action.
The Zero Waste Movement, growing under the auspices of Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, has now evolved into a global transformation call that resonates in 193 countries. The Zero Waste Forum, to be held in Istanbul by the Zero Waste Foundation, will open the door to a new era that strengthens this call with concrete policy tools, implementation models, city collaborations, and common climate goals on the path to COP31.
The Zero Waste Foundation, with its holistic approach addressing environmental policies not only from a waste management perspective but also in conjunction with climate change mitigation, resource efficiency, sustainable development, and just transition goals, continues to strengthen global cooperation in the lead-up to COP31 to be held in Antalya.
This new process starting in Istanbul aims to grow a collective transformation will extending from cities to countries and from institutions to individuals, making zero waste one of the strongest building blocks of global climate action.