President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş held high-level contacts in Washington, D.C., the capital of the USA, within the scope of zero waste efforts and the COP31 process.
Critical contacts were made in the USA within the framework of the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held in Antalya on November 9-20, 2026, the March 30 International Day of Zero Waste, and the Zero Waste Forum to be held in June.
President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş met with Nat Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), one of the prominent think tanks, World Bank Group officials, and Ani Dasgupta, President of the World Resources Institute (WRI).
During the meeting with Keohane, strengthening the climate action agenda, increasing the role of the business world in climate policies, and including the private sector more actively in the process were evaluated.
While climate finance, sustainable development projects, and circular economy investments were discussed with World Bank officials; the role of cities and local governments in climate action, multi-level governance mechanisms, and science-based emission reduction targets were addressed with WRI President Dasgupta.
"The Movement Initiated by First Lady Emine Erdoğan Resonated in 193 Countries of the World"
President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş made the following statement regarding his Washington contacts:
"Together with our whole team, under the leadership of our foundation's founder, our Honorary President First Lady Emine Erdoğan, we are preparing strongly for both the International Zero Waste Forum and the United Nations Climate Summit.
March 30 is now celebrated as 'Zero Waste Day' in 193 UN member states, and celebrations will be held in 193 countries around the world again this year. The main celebrations will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York with the participation of the UN Secretary-General. As the Zero Waste Foundation, we coordinate the March 30 celebrations together with the UN. In this context, we are planning exhibitions in different geographies of the world and in Türkiye.
We expect participation from 150 countries, more than 500 stakeholders, and over 5,000 foreign attendees at the International Zero Waste Forum to be held during Zero Waste Week.
When First Lady Emine Erdoğan initiated this process, she started it so that our future generations could live in a healthier, more prosperous, and welfare-filled world. Today, this movement has resonated in 193 countries around the world.
Due to our visits to Washington, we have seen this; the world's interest in zero waste is very high. There is excitement on the World Bank side as well. They believe they will start a strong cooperation with us. We have formed our working groups in this context.
This year at COP, as the High-Level Climate Championship Office, we prioritized certain issues. These are; food waste, hunger, zero waste. An average person can unintentionally swallow 5 grams of plastic every week. Today, microplastics are found in the stomachs of unborn children. These will increase much more in the future. We need to reduce plastic use. In this context, we need to reduce the elements that will cause an environmental disaster."
Continuing its work with the vision and leadership of the Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, and Chairperson of the United Nations Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, First Lady Emine Erdoğan, the Zero Waste Foundation aims to resolutely continue its activities within the scope of COP31, the International Zero Waste Forum, and its local/global works.
