Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, who chairs the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, has called for changes in consumption habits and stronger international cooperation to address the climate crisis.
Speaking at the opening of New York Climate Week on Monday, Erdogan said the Zero Waste movement had turned individuals from “helpless observers” into actors in tackling climate change.
She said small behavioural changes could develop into broader social practices when widely adopted and supported by sound policies.
Erdogan attended the event in New York alongside Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas. The Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry and the Zero Waste Foundation were among the main sponsors.
She said climate change was a consequence of the burden human activity had placed on the planet, pointing to fossil fuels, industrial processes, high emissions and excessive consumption.
‘Rebuild our relationship with nature’
Erdogan said humanity had created a system based on short product lifespans and growing waste, citing estimates that 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, with 7 billion tonnes becoming waste.
She said the environmental costs of high consumption were often borne by vulnerable societies and future generations that contributed least to it.
“We must therefore begin by reducing excess in our habits alongside our waste, changing our mindset alongside our systems, and rebuilding our relationship with nature on the principles of balance and justice,” she said.
Erdogan described Zero Waste as a moral approach that promotes limits and responsibility as consumption and waste become increasingly normalised.
She said the programme launched at the Turkish presidential complex in 2017 had since spread to schools, hospitals, municipalities, public institutions and households.
“Our recovery rate, which stood at 13 percent at the time, has now surpassed 37 percent,” she said.
‘Shared responsibilities’
Erdogan said Zero Waste did not reduce the responsibilities of governments and companies, but instead expanded them.
She called for infrastructure that helps people make sustainable choices, more durable and reusable products, circular production technologies and stronger international cooperation.
She also recalled that Türkiye's Zero Waste resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2022, while March 30 was designated International Zero Waste Day and the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste was established.
Erdogan said she hoped Zero Waste would be recognised as a tool for climate action at COP31, which Türkiye will host in November.
She warned that continuing habits that cause today's environmental problems would undermine future solutions.
“No target will be sufficient on its own, and no technology will be a solution on its own,” she said.
Erdogan said the success of New York Climate Week would ultimately depend on actions taken after the event, expressing hope it would lead to new habits and collective action.
Following her speech, Erdogan watched a live performance by contemporary marbling artist Garip Ay. Editors-in-chief of newspapers and television channels, along with other guests, attended the event.
