At a roundtable held at the Harvard Club as part of New York Climate Week, of which the Zero Waste Foundation is among the main partners, participants discussed how climate commitments can be translated into investment decisions and concrete implementation on the ground.
Speaking at the meeting, Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş emphasized that the private sector is an indispensable partner in climate action, noting that policy predictability, risk sharing, project preparation, and strong implementation plans are critical to directing global capital toward high-impact climate and development projects.
Continuing its work in line with the zero waste and climate action vision put forward 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, the Zero Waste Foundation contributed to the global dialogue on translating climate goals into concrete investment decisions and implementation during New York Climate Week.
From Climate Goals to Final Investment Decisions
As part of New York Climate Week, a roundtable titled “From Climate Goals to Final Investment Decisions: How Can We Turn COP31 Climate Commitments into Investments?” was held at the Harvard Club, moderated by Dr. Jean Baderschneider.
The meeting brought together representatives from the business and finance sectors to discuss priority steps for turning climate commitments into investable projects, mobilizing private capital, and strengthening public-private cooperation. Osman Arslan, General Manager of VakıfBank, also participated in the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Samed Ağırbaş stated that moving from targets to implementation would be one of the key priorities in the process leading to COP31 under the leadership of Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum. He emphasized the need to overcome barriers to climate finance and direct capital toward projects capable of generating high impact.
Strengthening the Role of the Private Sector in Climate Action
Ağırbaş stated that the private sector is not a secondary element of the COP process but an indispensable partner in the implementation of climate action on the ground.
He noted that the Global Climate Action Agenda provides an important platform for governments, companies, investors, financial institutions, and civil society to develop cooperation around concrete climate solutions.
Ağırbaş stated that COP31 should contribute to creating the conditions necessary for companies and investors to move from commitments to implementation, while highlighting the importance of mobilizing additional resources in areas prioritized by the COP31 Presidency, including energy, oceans, and zero waste.
“Zero Waste is about resource efficiency and transforming the way we design, produce, and consume.”
Three Priorities for Turning Commitments into Investments
As COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, Ağırbaş identified three key areas of focus for translating climate commitments into investable projects: policy alignment and predictability in the investment environment, capacity and innovation, and implementation planning.
Emphasizing the need for stronger dialogue between policymakers and the private sector, Ağırbaş stated that companies and investors need long-term and predictable policy frameworks, appropriate incentives, and strong investment signals to increase their investments.
“COP31 should help establish a stronger dialogue between policymakers and the private sector to identify and remove barriers to investment.”
Highlighting capacity and innovation as the second area, Ağırbaş noted that technological transformation, particularly artificial intelligence, can support greener business models, stronger project development processes, and more efficient use of resources.
As the third area, Ağırbaş emphasized the importance of implementation planning, stating that ambitious targets should be supported by achievable milestones and credible work plans. He noted the need for clearer roadmaps connecting national climate commitments to concrete projects, financing, and implementation.
An Implementation Focus at COP31
COP31, to be held in Antalya under the leadership of Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum, is intended to advance a process focused on translating climate goals into concrete results on the ground.
Through the COP31 Action Agenda, the process aims to strengthen cooperation among the public sector, private sector, financial institutions, and civil society in priority areas including energy, oceans, and zero waste.
Climate finance is also being addressed as a core component of this transformation, with the aim of turning commitments into investable projects and measurable implementation.
Ağırbaş stated that the COP31 Action Agenda can contribute to turning climate goals into investable opportunities by bringing together governments, the financial sector, businesses, and project developers.
Directing Capital Effectively
During the second part of the meeting, Ağırbaş addressed the main barriers to climate action and the issues that should be carried forward to COP31, identifying financing as one of the critical challenges to implementation.
He noted that significant amounts of capital exist around the world, but that this capital does not always reach the projects, countries, and communities capable of generating the greatest impact for climate and development. He emphasized that the key challenge is to direct capital effectively and fairly while creating a sufficient pipeline of investable projects capable of attracting that capital.
Ağırbaş stressed that policy predictability, risk sharing, demand signals, project preparation, and strong implementation plans need to be addressed together, adding that climate investments should be assessed not only through financial outcomes but also through their concrete impact on the ground.
Emphasis on Measurable Results in Climate Investments
Samed Ağırbaş emphasized that climate investments should reduce emissions and climate risks while also improving people's lives and creating employment.
“Climate action must be measurable. It must improve people's lives. It must create jobs. It must support a transition that companies, governments, and communities can sustain.”
Stating that this approach also forms the basis of the Zero Waste Foundation’s work, Ağırbaş highlighted the importance of transforming initiatives in zero waste and energy into implementable and financeable projects that deliver measurable results on the ground.
An Implementation Bridge from COP31 to COP32
Recalling that only a limited amount of time remains before COP31 and that the COP32 process will subsequently begin under the presidency of Ethiopia, Ağırbaş stated that Antalya can represent an important milestone in closing the gap between climate goals and implementation.
He noted that a strong bridge can be established between COP31 and COP32 around implementation and finance, emphasizing that decisions and commitments emerging from Antalya should be supported by concrete mechanisms that can continue beyond COP31.
“How can we unlock financing together?”
Ağırbaş raised this question to investor and company representatives during the meeting, emphasizing that the needs of the private sector and the conditions influencing investment decisions should be addressed more strongly within the COP31 process.
The meeting in New York aimed to contribute to developing a shared understanding among business, finance, and government on translating climate commitments into investment decisions and concrete implementation. The Zero Waste Foundation continues its work to strengthen zero waste, resource efficiency, and sustainable production and consumption models as key components of climate action.
