27.06.2026 11:41
Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, who attended the Key Ideas Summit 2026 organized under the leadership of Emlak Konut GYO, emphasized that the era of economic superiority based on oil has ended and that the new key to global competition is 'sustainability.' Sharing the vision of making Istanbul the 'Capital of Zero Waste,' Ağırbaş stated that initiatives in the construction sector will give rise to global brands.
Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş made assessments on sustainability, green transformation, and the future of cities at the Key Ideas Summit. Ağırbaş said, “The competitive advantage of the 21st century is shaped by efficiency, circularity, and innovation.” Stating that innovative ideas in the construction and real estate sectors can create a major transformation, Ağırbaş noted that initiatives emerging within the scope of the summit could contribute to Türkiye producing globally strong companies.
EFFICIENCY-FOCUSED TRANSFORMATION The Zero Waste Movement, under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan, President of the United Nations Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, has turned into a globally recognized environmental vision, while studies in sustainability and green transformation strengthen Türkiye's place on the international agenda. Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş, in his speech at the Key Ideas Summit 2026, drew attention to the importance of building sustainable cities and transformation focused on innovation and efficiency.
Organized by Emlak Konut GYO, the Key Ideas Summit 2026, which brings together initiatives developing innovative solutions to real needs in the real estate and construction sectors with industry representatives, investors, and institutions, was held on June 25-26 at Rixos Tersane Istanbul. The summit, held under the theme "Every invention is a new milestone," stood out as an innovation platform where initiatives establish direct contact with investors and sector stakeholders, aiming to develop new collaborations.
"THE SUMMIT TURNED INTO A TRUE COMMON MIND PLATFORM" The opening program of the second day of the summit was attended by Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş, Emlak Konut General Manager Yasir Yılmaz, Emlak Konut Strategy and Corporate Development Coordinator Hasan Tural, Head of the Urban Transformation Department of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Hakkı Alp, and many other industry representatives, entrepreneurs, investors, and civil society organization representatives.
Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş stated in his opening speech that the Key Ideas Summit has undergone a significant transformation since its first meeting last year, saying, "We witnessed a strong ambiance where different institutions and different people competed with their ideas towards a common goal. This year, we see that the second edition of the summit has been advanced further with the contributions of Emlak Konut and its stakeholders, turning into a true common mind platform."
"THE ZERO WASTE MOVEMENT INITIATED BY EMINE ERDOĞAN HAS BECOME A GLOBAL BRAND" Drawing attention to the point the Zero Waste Movement has reached on a global scale, Ağırbaş reminded that the movement was initiated under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan in 2017. Ağırbaş said, "As the Zero Waste Foundation, we brought the Zero Waste Movement, initiated by Mrs. Emine Erdoğan in 2017, to the world stage together with our Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Today, it has become a global brand with a presence in 81 provinces of Türkiye and 193 countries around the world."
Emphasizing that Türkiye's work in the fields of environment, urbanization, and climate change has found strong international resonance, Ağırbaş stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's vision has been decisive in this process. Ağırbaş said, "The strong will demonstrated in the areas of sustainable development and green growth under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan makes significant contributions to our country's more effective role in global transformation processes."
"UNDER MURAT KURUM’S LEADERSHIP, COP31 WILL BE A PLATFORM WHERE THE WORLD'S REALITIES ARE DISCUSSED" Also touching on the COP31 process that Türkiye will host, Ağırbaş stated that the summit will be prepared with a human-centered approach. Ağırbaş said, "With COP31, we will experience an important process where Türkiye's work in climate transformation, environment, and urbanization will be explained to the world and carried forward. Under the leadership of our COP31 President and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum, we are working to build a COP meeting that is human-centered and discusses the world's realities." Drawing attention to global inequalities, Ağırbaş emphasized that the climate struggle is not only an environmental but also a social responsibility.
"THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF THE 21ST CENTURY IS EFFICIENCY, CIRCULARITY, AND INNOVATION" Stating that sustainability has become one of the fundamental elements of economic development, Ağırbaş said, "In the past, one of the main resources of developed societies was oil. Now, the greatest resources of developed societies are efficiency and sustainability. We have to work on how to achieve more products with fewer resources."
Stating that innovative ideas in the construction and real estate sectors can create a major transformation, Ağırbaş noted that initiatives emerging within the scope of the Key Ideas Summit could contribute to Türkiye producing globally strong companies. Expressing that the initiatives they met at last year's summit have significant potential, Ağırbaş said, "With the ideas put forward by engineers, young people, and academics raised in these lands, we can achieve serious efficiency increases in the construction and building sector. I believe that when these efforts are supported, very large companies will emerge from Türkiye to the world."
"WE WANT TO MAKE ISTANBUL THE CAPITAL OF ZERO WASTE" Stating that the future of cities will be shaped around sustainability, Ağırbaş said they have put forward a special vision for Istanbul. Ağırbaş said, "We want to make Istanbul the center of zero waste studies. With zero waste-based technoparks, R&D centers, and the Zero Waste Institute we have established, we will carry out important work in Istanbul together with civil society, the business world, and different segments."
Expressing that cities play a critical role in the fight against the climate crisis, Ağırbaş said, "If we build livable cities, if we build sustainable cities, we will make the fight against the climate crisis stronger."
"The construction sector constitutes a significant portion of environmental impacts. Green transformation in this area, emission-reducing projects, and sustainable practices will greatly contribute to combating environmental problems in the world," he stated.
At the end of his speech, Ağırbaş thanked Emine Erdoğan, the pioneer of the Zero Waste Movement, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, the Emlak Konut family, industry representatives, and all stakeholders who contributed to the summit.
After his speech, Ağırbaş was presented with a plaque of appreciation by Emlak Konut General Manager Yasir Yılmaz.
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