Prior to the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya on November 9-20, the Zero Waste Foundation discussed the roadmap of the summit with the "Zero Waste Retreat" meetings.
The Zero Waste Foundation created an important consultation ground with the "Zero Waste Retreat" event held on February 6-8, 2026, ahead of the COP31 summit. High-level representatives and advisors of the Zero Waste Foundation, members of the UN Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion stakeholders attended the meetings held in Istanbul.
National and international stakeholders from different parts of the world discussed the roadmap for COP31 Antalya. While previous COP experiences were consulted; good practice examples, collaborations, and the potential contributions of the zero waste vision to climate action were discussed.
Strong Participation in the Zero Waste Retreat Event
The names participating in the consultation camp in Istanbul are as follows:
- • Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş,
- • Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Fatma Varank,
- • COP29 (Azerbaijan) High-Level Climate Champion Nigar Arpadarai,
- • UN Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste Member Lara Van Druten,
- • UN-Habitat Special Advisor on Political Affairs and High-Level Relations, and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Advisor Chris Mensah,
- • UN-Habitat Secretary-General of the Office of the Executive Director Neil Khor,
- • UNEP Director of Marketing, Communications, and Stakeholder Engagement, and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Advisor Atif Ikram Butt,
- • Climate Champions Team (CCT) Lead Lisa Larsen,
- • COP30 CEO Ana Toni
Numerous representatives also took part in the program.
Organized by the Zero Waste Foundation and the COP31 High-Level Climate Championship Office, the program served as an important preparatory meeting for the COP31 process.
During the 3-day meetings, the 2026 strategies of the Zero Waste Foundation and initiatives in this field, the job description and responsibility areas of the COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, and the general roadmap for the COP31 process were discussed in a broad framework.
During the consultations, the determination to make the zero waste approach one of the visible practices at COP31 was emphasized. The complementary role of zero waste in areas such as the circular economy, emission reduction, and transformation in consumption habits to contribute to climate action was revealed.
Brought to life by the vision and leadership of First Lady Emine Erdoğan and accepted by 193 countries, the Zero Waste Movement continues its work uninterruptedly as a global reference in climate action through the corporate structure and projects of the Zero Waste Foundation.
In this context; it is aimed to make the zero waste vision prominent through the work of the COP31 High-Level Climate Championship at the COP31 summit, becoming a role model for the world in climate diplomacy.
