15.06.2026 21:30
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the global impact of the Zero Waste Movement and stated that Türkiye is continuing its environmental diplomacy efforts with determination. Erdoğan said, 'We have accelerated our environmental diplomacy efforts, particularly the Zero Waste Movement, which has turned into a global mobilization.'
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his assessment following the Presidential Cabinet meeting, stated that the Zero Waste Movement, led by United Nations Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board Chair and Zero Waste Foundation Honorary President Emine Erdoğan, has evolved into a strong environmental vision with international resonance. He said, "We have accelerated our environmental diplomacy efforts, particularly the Zero Waste Movement, which has turned into a global mobilization."
President Erdoğan also highlighted the international importance of the Zero Waste Forum, saying, "We held the Zero Waste Forum in our Istanbul, where over 120 ministers from 183 countries and more than 200 mayors came together on June 5-7."
Emphasizing that the forum took place with strong participation ahead of the COP31 Conference of Parties to be held in Antalya on November 9-20, President Erdoğan expressed, "I congratulate all those who contributed to the Zero Waste Forum, which we conducted with a high participation of 5,000 people before the COP31 Conference of Parties."
ZERO WASTE FORUM SHAPED THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
The Zero Waste Forum, organized by the Zero Waste Foundation under the auspices of United Nations Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board Chair and Zero Waste Foundation Honorary President Emine Erdoğan, brought together representatives from public sector, private sector, academia, local governments, international organizations, and civil society in Istanbul around a common goal.
Held under the theme "The Road to Antalya: Climate Action," the forum served as an important global platform preparatory to the COP31 process, hosting solution-oriented evaluations on topics such as zero waste, circular economy, resource efficiency, sustainable cities, and climate action.
With participants from 183 countries, the forum saw more than 120 ministers, over 200 mayors, and more than 500 international stakeholders come together to assess common goals in environment and climate issues. Over four hundred sessions held throughout three days discussed implementation-focused approaches to achieving global climate goals.
A GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION MODEL
The Zero Waste Movement, initiated by Emine Erdoğan in 2017, quickly transcended Turkey's borders and evolved into a globally recognized environmental initiative under the United Nations.
Today, the Zero Waste approach offers a holistic transformation vision in areas including waste reduction, efficient resource use, development of sustainable production and consumption models, strengthening the circular economy, and combating climate change.
The Zero Waste Foundation, under Emine Erdoğan's leadership, continues to expand this vision through international collaborations and carry out efforts to ensure contributions from all segments of society—from cities to institutions, youth to local governments—to the transformation process.
NEW COLLABORATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION MODELS ON THE ROAD TO COP31
Within the scope of the Zero Waste Forum, the Global Zero Waste Zones Initiative was introduced to accelerate the transformation of cities, and new cooperation mechanisms were established to place zero waste and circular economy solutions at the center of climate action.
Additionally, the Global Climate Action Joint Statement issued by High-Level Climate Champions at the forum demonstrated a collective will for zero waste and circular economy approaches to become an integral part of long-term climate strategies.
With the announcement of the Istanbul Zero Waste and Climate Change Platform, the goal was to establish a permanent cooperation ground among governments, cities, private sector, international organizations, and civil society to strengthen climate action.
The collective wisdom and solution proposals emerging from the Zero Waste Forum ranked among the key outputs that will contribute to the COP31 process to be hosted by Turkey.
The Zero Waste Foundation, under Emine Erdoğan’s leadership, remains determined to advance this growing global movement and continue its international efforts for a more livable world, more efficient resource use, and a fairer environmental future.