Turkey Promotes Zero Waste for COP31

Turkey hosted its second Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul on June 5, 2026, signaling its intent to prioritize waste management and circular economy principles at the upcoming UN climate change conference, COP31. The forum served as a preparatory event for Turkey's co-chairmanship of COP31 in November, where it will lead the Action Agenda.

The initiative, launched by Turkey in 2017, aims to reduce the 2.1 billion tons of waste generated globally each year by promoting resource reuse and recovery. This approach is championed by First Lady Emine Erdoğan and has been identified as a key area of collaboration between Turkey and the United Nations. Discussions at the forum focused on practical solutions and financing mechanisms for integrating zero-waste strategies into broader climate efforts.

Turkey, in partnership with Brazil's COP30 presidency, seeks to translate climate commitments into tangible implementation outcomes. The forum highlighted the need for greater collaboration and coordination to overcome fragmented efforts in waste reduction and circular economy adoption, aiming to integrate these priorities into the wider COP Action Agenda to enhance engagement from various stakeholders.