06.06.2026 20:00
The second day of the Zero Waste Forum, held under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, President of the United Nations Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, was marked by the participation of three ministers. Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak emphasized the role of youth in environmental projects; Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı drew attention to the $1 trillion global food waste. Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler explained the right to repair and the zero waste model in the Turkish Armed Forces.
The Zero Waste Forum, one of the most important international gatherings of the global zero waste movement carried out under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, Chair of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, continued with high participation on its second day.
Bringing together representatives from the public sector, private sector, academia, local governments, international organizations, and civil society, the forum addressed many topics throughout the day, from the role of cities in transformation and the place of youth in climate action to food losses and the circular economy.
Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, also attended various sessions and held bilateral meetings throughout the day.
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CITIES ON THE ROAD TO COP31 ANTALYA WAS DISCUSSED
The opening of the Cities Day Panel, held on the second day of the forum, was made by Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion. In the session, which served as preparation for the COP31 Antalya process, the critical role of cities in driving climate action and sustainable transformation was evaluated. The panel highlighted the impact of how cities design, consume, build, and manage resources on a sustainable future, while emphasizing the importance of developing applicable solutions in the fields of climate action, circular economy, and sustainable urban transformation.
YOUTH UNITED FOR A FAIRER WORLD
The Youth Session held within the forum hosted significant evaluations centered on the role of young people in climate, environment, and sustainability. The session featured speakers including Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş, COP31 Youth Envoy Sally Higgins, UNICEF Türkiye Representative Paolo Marchi, and President of the Young Diplomacy Association Selman Bilir.
Drawing attention to the international impact of the forum, Ağırbaş noted that participants from 183 countries attended and over 5,000 people showed interest, stating, "We have only one dream under the leadership of Mrs. Emine Erdoğan. We want a more livable, more prosperous, and fairer world." Addressing global inequalities and food access issues, Ağırbaş emphasized that the forum provides an important platform for disadvantaged groups to make their voices heard on a global scale. Pointing out injustices in different parts of the world, Ağırbaş said, "There is only one salvation for the world. If we work together shoulder to shoulder as peoples of the world with common ideas and common benefit, it is possible to build a fair world."
Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak, referring to efforts supporting the active participation of young people in environmental and social projects, highlighted the importance of youth centers operating across Turkey. In his evaluation of the institutionalization of the zero waste movement, Minister Bak stated, "The establishment of the Zero Waste Foundation and the initiation of such a process under the auspices of Mrs. Emine Erdoğan are very valuable and very important."
A STRONG CALL FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION COOPERATION
Speaking later at the Global Climate Action Marrakech Partnership Panel, Samed Ağırbaş pointed out the importance of turning the ideas and collaborations emerging from the forum into concrete impact. Ağırbaş emphasized that climate change and zero waste issues should be a common agenda for all stakeholders, from politicians to academia and from the private sector to civil society, stating that close collaborations developed in these areas will produce real and lasting results. Noting that the Istanbul Platform could be an important mechanism in international climate governance, Ağırbaş highlighted the importance of benefiting from the knowledge and experience of previous High-Level Climate Champions. Expressing that children, youth, and women should be at the center of climate policies, Ağırbaş stated that they work in close cooperation with the United Nations, UNICEF, and civil society organizations from different countries. Ağırbaş concluded, "As the Zero Waste Foundation, we are always ready to work with everyone who has opinions, ideas, and projects for our world and future. We need deep and concrete collaborations."
THE COST OF FOOD LOSS IS 1 TRILLION DOLLARS
The Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Session, held on the second day of the forum, was organized under the theme "Reducing Post-Harvest Losses – Increasing Efficiency in the Food Supply Chain." The session was chaired by Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı.
Reminding that approximately one-third of the food produced globally is lost before reaching tables, Minister Yumaklı stated that food loss and waste causes an annual economic damage of approximately 1 trillion dollars to the global economy.
Stating that the zero waste approach is not only an environmental approach but also a reflection of the will to protect life and humanity, Yumaklı said Turkey continues to build a system that reduces losses in all processes from field to table and supports the circular economy.
Referring to COP31 to be held in Antalya in November, Minister Yumaklı emphasized that the high-level meetings held within the scope of the Zero Waste Forum are a concrete indicator of the determination to spread the circular economy and zero waste culture across all segments of society.
STRONG MESSAGES FOR THE RIGHT TO REPAIR AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The "Right to Repair for a Zero Waste Future" panel held within the forum discussed issues such as spreading the culture of reuse and repair, reducing waste generation, and strengthening the circular economy.
The main speaker of the panel, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, stated that sustainable and efficient systems are only possible with resilience, strategic resource use, and strong institutional collaborations. Drawing attention to the global importance of the Zero Waste Movement, Güler said, "The zero waste approach is a powerful transformation model based on resource efficiency, protecting the environment, generating economic benefits, and making concrete contributions to the fight against climate change."
" he said. Güler stated that zero waste practices have been carried out with determination within the Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Armed Forces since 2018, emphasizing that environmental responsibility is an integral part of corporate transformation.
CITIES ARE THE LOCOMOTIVES OF ZERO WASTE TRANSFORMATION
In the panel titled "City Action Guide: Municipal Tools that Truly Contribute to the Zero Waste Target," the decisive role of cities in zero waste transformation was evaluated.
The panel addressed numerous topics from policy design to infrastructure planning, and from regulatory tools to implementation mechanisms, comprehensively assessing the contributions local governments can make to waste reduction on an urban scale.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, in his opening speech, drew attention to the strategic importance of municipalities in transforming their zero waste commitments into concrete and applicable urban systems. Gül emphasized that coordinated policy production, effective implementation, and measurable results are fundamental elements in the success of zero waste transformation, stating that cities play a pioneering role in sustainable future goals.
The forum, held under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan in line with the Zero Waste vision that has evolved into a global environmental movement, continued on its second day to be an important platform that strengthens international collaborations, encourages solution-oriented approaches, and contributes to the COP31 Antalya process.