President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş spoke at the LDC-GIF (Least Developed Countries - Green Industrial Facilitator) Launch High-Level Dialogue held as part of New York Climate Week. Ağırbaş drew attention to the importance of green industrialization in terms of efficient resource use, strengthening access to technology and finance, and integrating the zero waste approach into industry.
The Zero Waste vision introduced by First Lady Emine Erdoğan—Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chairperson of the United Nations Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, and Honorary Chairperson of the Zero Waste Foundation—which is based on efficient resource utilization, waste prevention, and strengthening a sustainable lifestyle, stands out as one of the concrete implementation areas of global climate action during Türkiye's COP31 process.
As one of the core partners of New York Climate Week, the Zero Waste Foundation contributes to efforts aimed at integrating zero waste, the circular economy, and resource efficiency with climate action through contacts held throughout the week.
While preparations for COP31, to be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya, are carried out with an "implementation" focus under the leadership of Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum; zero waste and the circular economy also rank among the prominent topics of the COP31 Action Agenda.
High-Level Launch of LDC-GIF
Held as part of New York Climate Week and chaired by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, the LDC-GIF Launch High-Level Dialogue was attended by Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum, Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for OHRLLS Rabab Fatima, and Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank Roland Mollerus.
“Green Industrialization Means Bringing Zero Waste into Industry”
Speaking at the opening of the program, Ağırbaş pointed out the importance of an approach that places humanity and local economic development at the center of the green transition. Stating that 1.1 billion people live in the least developed countries and that their share in world economic output is around 1 percent, Ağırbaş emphasized that green industrialization is not only an environmental transformation but also an essential tool for strengthening local economies.
“Good ideas often fail to move to the implementation stage because they lack access to finance, technology, or the required capacity. LDC-GIF aims to fill precisely this gap, turning ideas into bankable projects and ensuring that climate commitments transform into concrete practices.”
Zero Waste Brought to the Core of Industrial Policies
Pointing out that the zero waste approach is a vital component of green industrialization, Ağırbaş emphasized that the philosophy of "producing more with fewer resources" must lie at the center of industrial policies.
Drawing attention to an industrial model where energy is not wasted, materials are kept in use, and resource efficiency is prioritized, Ağırbaş stated that zero waste can be integrated into industry through eco-industrial parks, where one facility's waste becomes another's raw material, retaining resources within the loop.
Global Cooperation Strengthened Through Istanbul Platform
Ağırbaş also stated that the Istanbul Platform, launched as part of the Zero Waste Forum, will provide an important basis linking these efforts across the Action Agenda.
Inviting countries and organizations with technology to share these solutions and financial institutions to join the mechanism, Ağırbaş stressed the importance of COP31 being remembered for tangible change and real-world implementations.
LDC-GIF to Be Officially Launched at COP31
LDC-GIF is planned to be officially launched at COP31 in Antalya. The mechanism aims to transform green industrial ideas in the least developed countries into concrete, bankable projects.
Built on four pillars—project development, technology matchmaking, capacity building, and policy alignment—the mechanism aims to bring 10 projects to implementation and mobilize approximately 100 million dollars in financing over a three-year period.
Contribution to COP31's Implementation Agenda
With LDC-GIF, it is aimed to strengthen the least developed countries' access to technical capacity, technology, and finance needed in their green industrial transition; transform developed ideas into actionable projects; and carry international collaborations into tangible outcomes.
Developed in line with COP31's "implementation" focus, this mechanism will contribute to strengthening global cooperation to integrate green industrialization, resource efficiency, circular economy, and the zero waste approach with climate action. Together with COP31 in Antalya, the goal is to transform climate targets into concrete practices.
