Ahead of COP31, Zero Waste Forum 2026 convened in Istanbul, positioned zero waste as a practical climate action and strengthened international cooperation on the road to Antalya.
— Zero Waste Forum 2026, organized by the Zero Waste Foundation, was held at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul on June 5–7, 2026, under the theme “Road to Antalya: Zero Waste as Climate Action.” It was one of the largest and most significant gatherings in global environmental diplomacy, welcoming more than 120 ministers from 183 countries, hundreds of mayors, and over 5,000 participants.
Zero Waste Forum 2026 became the largest rehearsal ahead of COP31 in Antalya for the Zero Waste Movement, which has evolved into a global environmental mobilization under the United Nations. It supported COP31-aligned initiatives through announcements, collaboration development and implementation readiness, while providing a platform for practical action rather than the negotiation of formal agreements.
A meeting point for implementation
“In November 2026, Türkiye will host COP31, creating a unique opportunity to elevate zero waste from a separate discussion topic into an implementation-focused climate action agenda. Zero Waste Forum 2026 framed zero waste not only as waste management, but as an effective climate action tool focused on prevention, systems change and implementation capacity,” told Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion.
Working under the vision of H.E. Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, Ağırbaş said:
“The forum helped accelerate coordination, strengthen partnerships, and increase implementation readiness. It also acted as an institutional bridge between the Foundation’s multi-stakeholder platform and the COP31 implementation agenda by listening to stakeholders at scale, linking their priorities with implementation pathways and accelerating action.”
A high-level global gathering in Istanbul
The forum was attended by Princess Dana Firas of Jordan; First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Auxillia Mnangagwa; First Lady of the Republic of Burundi Angeline Ndayishimiye; Jose Manuel Moller, Vice Chair of the UN Advisory Board on Zero Waste; Ruslan Edelgeriev, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation and Special Presidential Representative for Climate Issues; Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile; Ameenah Gurib, former President of Mauritius; Boris Tadic, former President of Serbia; Borut Pahor, former President of Slovenia; and members of the UN Advisory Board on Zero Waste.
The Turkish delegation included Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister of Youth and Sports; Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology; Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism; Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure; Yusuf Tekin, Minister of National Education; İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry; Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services; Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and his wife, Gülden Gül. Ministers of agriculture, forestry, environment, fisheries, industry, technology, economy, energy and water economy from numerous countries also took part in the forum.
A systems-focused three-day program
The three-day program featured 247 speakers and remained broad, multi-material and systems-focused, aligned with the wider zero waste agenda. It included one full thematic day dedicated to food waste and methane action as a strategic priority, reflecting the urgency of addressing food waste as a climate action area with strong near-term impact potential.
The thematic day supported food waste prevention and recovery across production, logistics, retail and hospitality; link organic waste action with methane reduction and practical city-level implementation; showcase scalable interventions and solutions for different contexts; and strengthen evidence-based knowledge and implementation guidance for rapid replication.
Sector leadership and practical outputs
As part of the forum program, three High-Level Ministerial Sessions were held to advance sector-specific leadership and implementation pathways: the High-Level Industry and Technology Ministers Session, the High-Level Agriculture and Forestry Ministers Session, and the High-Level Energy and Natural Resources Ministers Session.
Zero Waste Forum 2026 produced a practical and credible outcomes package on the Road to Antalya. Outputs included the Road to Antalya Declaration, a shared direction and set of intentions stakeholders may voluntarily align with; the City Action Commitments Package, structured city commitments with near-term actions, timelines and support needs; the Food Waste and Methane Action Guide, outlining scalable interventions and implementation tools across the food value chain; and the Partnership and Project Pipeline, a curated set of implementation-ready partnerships and projects developed through the forum’s matchmaking processes.
The central event of Zero Waste Week
Zero Waste Forum 2026 was the central event of Zero Waste Week, organized by the Governorship of Istanbul in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation from June 1–7, 2026. The concurrent Zero Waste Festival revealed the public-facing dimension of the week, including accessible events such as exhibitions, workshops, cultural events and interactive learning areas.
Together, the forum and festival turned Istanbul into a lasting zero waste platform that combined high-level policy dialogue with broad public engagement and awareness. Ahead of COP31, Zero Waste Forum 2026 aligned with the wider Global Climate Action architecture under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by mobilizing non-state actors, strengthening implementation coalitions and accelerating implementation-ready pathways.
More information and program updates are available at www.globalzerowasteforum.org.
Contact Info:
Name: Ahmet Musa Bala
Email: Send Email
Organization: Zero Waste Foundation
Website: https://sifiratikvakfi.org/en
Release ID: 89193830
If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact error@releasecontact.com to notify us (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours.