Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, in his comprehensive assessments at the GYODER Real Estate Summit, called on the real estate sector for climate-friendly, zero-waste compliant, and sustainable production, drawing attention to the priority areas of the COP31 process to be hosted by Türkiye. Ağırbaş emphasized that affordable housing, sustainable cities, and strengthened collaborations on a global scale are among the fundamental building blocks of the new era.
The zero waste approach, which has gained momentum on a global scale under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chair of the United Nations Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, continues to be positioned at the center of Türkiye's sustainable development vision. Continuing its activities in line with this strong vision, the Zero Waste Foundation contributes to addressing environmental, urbanization, and climate policies with a holistic perspective.
Delivering the opening speech at the GYODER Real Estate Summit, which brought together all stakeholders of the real estate sector and was held for the 20th time this year, Ağırbaş emphasized that the sector is not limited merely to producing physical structures, stating, "As you know, the real estate sector does not only produce buildings; it produces life, shapes the character of cities, and determines the environmental fate of future generations. Therefore, every square meter we talk about here today is actually a reflection of our carbon budget, our natural resources, and our social resilience."
"We Are Striving for Lasting Steps"
Pointing out that housing production is a strategic topic on a global scale, Ağırbaş stated that the Zero Waste Foundation focuses on developing sustainable and accessible models in this area, saying, "As the Zero Waste Foundation, primarily under the vision of our Foundation's Honorary President, First Lady Emine Erdoğan, and the leadership of our Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum, we are striving to see what kind of model we can follow regarding housing production and what lasting steps we can take regarding people's access to affordable housing."
Emphasis on "On-the-Ground Impact" at COP31
Making assessments regarding the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be hosted by Türkiye, Ağırbaş expressed that the process should not only be a diplomatic platform but also an action ground that produces applicable results, saying, "COP31, that is, the United Nations Conference of the Parties, will be held in Antalya between November 9-20 this year, hosted by Türkiye. In this meeting where 197 countries of the world will come together, more than 100,000 figures will gather in Türkiye, and we hope that the decisions to be taken here will be applicable, measurable, and have a corresponding impact on the ground."
"Slums Emerge When Affordable Housing is Not Provided by the State"
Relaying his field experiences gained within the scope of his international contacts, Ağırbaş drew attention to the fact that the issue of affordable housing is an escalating problem on a global scale, making the assessment, "In a slum neighborhood in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, where more than 1 million people live, we had one-on-one contact with people and listened to their problems. We saw there that unfortunately, when affordable housing is not provided by the state, slum neighborhoods emerge in countries."
Inclusivity Will Be at the Forefront in the COP31 Process
Expressing that they attach special importance to strengthening inclusivity in the COP31 process, Ağırbaş said, "We specifically care about the participation of disadvantaged groups in the COP31 meeting. With the financing model we put forward, we have developed a model that will enable the people living in those regions to participate in the meetings." Also touching upon the contacts held with the World Bank in Washington, Ağırbaş stated, "In our meetings with the World Bank, we agreed that more work needs to be done, especially regarding the production of affordable housing in the world."
The Climate Issue and Zero Waste Perspective
Underlining that the climate crisis is an issue that directly affects all of humanity on a global scale, Ağırbaş said, "The climate issue is an issue that concerns 86 million people living in the country and more than 8 billion people living in the world. For this reason, we adopt an approach based on collective wisdom by including all stakeholders in the process." Evaluating the global impact achieved by the Zero Waste Movement, Ağırbaş stated, "The zero waste movement started from the lands of Anatolia and has today turned into a movement that finds resonance in 193 countries of the world. Today, no matter where you go in the world, when you say zero waste, Türkiye comes to mind."
Sharing striking data regarding the global waste crisis, Ağırbaş stated, "According to a study conducted in the UK, every individual involuntarily swallows an average of 5 grams of plastic a week. We encounter microplastics in the blood of unborn children. We are now talking about plastic continents in the oceans. The waste crisis has surpassed the Earth; today we are talking about space waste." Drawing attention to the fact that this picture can pose serious health risks, Ağırbaş said, "If it continues like this, there will be serious increases in microplastic-related diseases and cancer cases. We must put a stop to this trend."
Call to the Sector from Samed Ağırbaş
Pointing to the critical role of the real estate sector in the transformation process, Ağırbaş made a strong call to the sector representatives by saying, "If you build the houses you will construct in a zero-waste compliant, climate-friendly, and carbon-neutral manner, we believe that we will reach our net zero emission target much faster as Türkiye and the world."
