COP31 and Zero Waste: What Does Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy Agenda Actually Involve?

Why It Matters

Türkiye's climate diplomacy rests on two pillars: the domestically born Zero Waste initiative, which has been carried into the UN system, and its role in the COP31 conference scheduled for 2026 in Antalya. Both are presented by Ankara as proof that a G20 economy with a large, fast-growing energy demand can act as a bridge between developed and developing states. This guide separates what official sources confirm from what remains a stated vision, and it includes the views of critics and partners.

Background

The Zero Waste initiative

Zero Waste began as a national project under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, the spouse of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and was developed with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. It aims to reduce waste at the source, improve separate collection and recycling, and treat waste as a resource within a circular-economy logic. A national Zero Waste Regulation was published in 2019, and the Presidency and the ministry have since promoted the model through municipalities, schools, public institutions and the private sector.

The international dimension grew in steps:

• 2020: A UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Zero Waste was established, with Emine Erdoğan as its honorary chair, according to Turkish official sources and UN announcements.
• 14 December 2022: The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, tabled by Türkiye with a broad group of co-sponsors, proclaiming 30 March the International Day of Zero Waste. UNEP and UN-Habitat jointly facilitate its observance.
• 2023 onward: The Day has been observed annually, and the Turkish Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have used it to promote Zero Waste partnerships.

Türkiye in the UN climate regime

Türkiye is a long-standing party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is listed in Annex I of the Convention, but the 2001 Marrakech decisions recognised its 'special circumstances', and it is not in Annex II, so it carries no formal obligation to provide finance. For years, Ankara said this status was an obstacle to accessing climate finance and had not ratified the Paris Agreement. That changed in October 2021, when the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) approved ratification shortly after President Erdoğan announced a 2053 net-zero target at the UN General Assembly. Türkiye has since updated its nationally determined contribution (NDC), established a Climate Change Presidency, and, in 2025, adopted a Climate Law that establishes a domestic legal framework, including provisions for emissions trading.

The COP31 context

UN climate conferences rotate among regional groups. COP31 fell to the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), where both Türkiye and Australia had expressed interest. Reporting around the COP30 summit in Belém indicated a compromise under which Antalya hosts the conference while Australia holds a major role in leading the negotiations. The precise allocation of presidency functions, dates and logistics should be taken from UNFCCC decisions and official host-country communications rather than secondary reports, and this article therefore does not assert more than those sources confirm. For a sister-publication overview, see Borders & Blocs on COP31 and Zero Waste.

Key Players & Positions

Türkiye's institutions

• The Presidency frames Zero Waste and climate action as part of a 'green development' vision and as a platform for global leadership.
• The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change implements the Zero Waste Regulation, coordinates the climate policy framework and leads technical preparations.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) handles climate diplomacy in UN processes, bilateral outreach and negotiating positions.

UN bodies and partners

UNEP and UN-Habitat facilitate the International Day of Zero Waste. The UNFCCC Secretariat and the incoming and outgoing COP presidencies manage the formal conference process. Partner governments and development institutions have generally welcomed Zero Waste as a practical waste-sector tool, while pointing out that it addresses only part of the emissions picture. Australia, as the other WEOG candidate, has stressed the importance of Pacific voices in the process; for context on how Pacific concerns shape the broader debate, consult the UNFCCC's own materials.

Critics and sceptics

Environmental organisations and some analysts argue that:

• Coal remains a significant part of Türkiye's electricity and industrial energy mix, and a 2053 target is later than the 2050 benchmark used by the EU and many others.
• Waste reduction, while valuable, is not a substitute for deep decarbonisation of power, transport and industry.
• Hosting a conference does not itself deliver ambition; delivery depends on policy, finance and implementation.

Supporters reply that Türkiye's rapid growth, large refugee-hosting burden and energy-import dependence make a pathway based on renewables, efficiency and circular economy realistic, and that the Climate Law and emissions trading provide the necessary instruments. Türkiye has also pointed to rapid growth in solar and wind capacity as evidence of progress, a claim readers can check against national energy statistics and independent trackers.

Source Comparison

The same facts are often framed differently depending on the source. The table below summarises typical emphases.

How to read the sources

1. Primary documents first: General Assembly resolutions, UNFCCC decisions, TBMM laws and Presidency statements are the most reliable.
2. Press reports on COP31 arrangements: treat as provisional until confirmed by UNFCCC decisions.
3. Advocacy and think-tank assessments: useful for evaluating ambition, but they involve judgement, not only fact.

Sister publications offer complementary analysis: Interstate Journal on COP31 in Antalya and Region Scope's explainer. Our own approach to sources is described in Editorial Principles and the Politepolity FAQ.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• Zero Waste (Sıfır Atık): A Turkish initiative to prevent waste, improve collection and recycling, and treat waste as a resource.
• International Day of Zero Waste: Observed on 30 March following the General Assembly resolution of 14 December 2022.
• COP31: The 31st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, the annual UN climate meeting, scheduled for 2026 in Antalya.
• NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution): A country's own emissions-reduction pledge under the Paris Agreement.
• Special circumstances: A status recognised for Türkiye in the 2001 Marrakech decisions, which Ankara cites in finance and support discussions.
• WEOG: The Western European and Others Group, the UN regional group to which Türkiye belongs for COP rotation purposes.

Related guides: About Politepolity, Who Governs the Sea?, Treaties That Define Türkiye and the Politepolity home page.

Perspective Note

Politepolity presents global and regional affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy and legal doctrines as stated by Turkish primary sources.