Istanbul, May 25, 2026 – The second Zero Waste Forum, a global platform dedicated to sustainable development, climate diplomacy, and resource efficiency, will take place from June 5-7, 2026, at Atatürk Airport. The event is part of the Istanbul Zero Waste Week, running from June 1-7.
Zero Waste Forum: A Global Hub for Environmental Diplomacy
Organized by the Zero Waste Foundation, under the vision and patronage of Ms. Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Movement and Chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, the forum is recognized as one of the world’s largest civil environmental and zero waste platforms. Co-hosted by the United Nations, it brings together ministers, representatives of international organizations, local governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society actors, making it a key meeting point for multilateral environmental diplomacy.
The forum anticipates over 5,000 high-level participants from more than 180 countries, including over 120 ministers and more than 200 mayors. Strategic sessions will focus on sustainable development, combating the climate crisis, circular economy, and zero waste policies. This three-day global gathering aims to elevate the zero waste approach beyond an environmental concern, positioning it as a fundamental pillar of economic resilience, development vision, and international cooperation.
Emine Erdoğan’s Leadership and Global Reach
Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, highlighted the forum’s significance: “This demonstrates the extent to which the Zero Waste Movement, under the leadership of Ms. Emine Erdoğan, has progressed. All United Nations organizations are main stakeholders of the Zero Waste Forum. The World Bank is a main stakeholder. Harvard University, Oxford and Yale Universities are main stakeholders of the Zero Waste Forum.”
Ağırbaş emphasized that the participation of over 120 ministers in a civil meeting organized by the Zero Waste Foundation, compared to 72 ministers at last year’s UN Climate Conference, underscores Istanbul’s growing importance as a global center. “This is an event entirely organized by a foundation, in collaboration with the private sector and international organizations. More than 200 mayors from around the world are coming. High-level executives from major cities are coming. Governors are coming, and we have excellent speakers who will discuss the future of zero waste in their respective fields. This year, more than 180 countries will sign the Zero Waste Forum’s outcome document,” he stated.
Unprecedented Partnerships: World Bank and World Economic Forum
This year, the Zero Waste Forum will see the participation of the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Ağırbaş noted, “The World Bank is coming to the Zero Waste Forum with 30 people. The President of the World Bank said, ‘We have never sent a delegation of 30 people to any meeting before.’ Eight former heads of state will attend the Zero Waste Forum. We all know Davos, the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum is also a main partner of the Zero Waste Forum. There is no other forum in the world where the World Economic Forum is a partner.”
Disadvantaged groups will also be represented at the Zero Waste Forum, and issues planned for discussion at COP31 will be addressed. Ağırbaş added, “We are bringing 10 young people from the Kibera slums in Nairobi to the Zero Waste Forum. They will tell the world about the problems they face. One of our biggest responsibilities as Turkey is to address the problems of oppressed geographies in the world. We want to tell the world. At COP31, the issue of zero waste will also be discussed as a main agenda item. In this context, under the leadership of the Zero Waste Foundation and Ms. Emine Erdoğan, this has been achieved, and now zero waste is on the agenda of COP31. And all the details of the zero waste issues planned to be discussed there will be addressed at the Zero Waste Forum.”
Global Leaders and Actors Converge in Istanbul
Despite being a civil foundation organization, the Zero Waste Forum brings together giants of global diplomacy and finance, establishing a new model in international relations. The World Economic Forum (DAVOS), a main partner of the forum, is making a significant collaboration by providing institutional partnership to a civil forum of this nature for the first time. This partnership indicates that the zero waste approach is not only an environmental policy area but also one of the fundamental parameters of global economic transformation.
The World Bank, a strong representative of international financial circles, is also among the main partners of the forum. The World Bank will be in Istanbul with one of its largest delegations in its history. The Bank will actively contribute to technical sessions and policy consultations with a special delegation of 30 people.
This high level of participation demonstrates that circular economy and resource efficiency-based projects are gaining a stronger foothold in the global financial agenda. The scientific and technical foundation of the forum is also strengthened by the contributions of the world’s most respected academic institutions, including Harvard, Oxford, and Yale Universities, which are main stakeholders of the Zero Waste Forum.
High-Level Diplomatic Participation and a Historic Declaration
The level of diplomatic participation is another factor highlighting the forum’s global impact. With the participation of over 200 mayors, governors, global fund managers, and 8 former heads of state, the forum provides high-level representation across a wide spectrum, from local governments to international financial institutions. Thus, a multi-layered governance model takes concrete form in Istanbul.
Following the historic Istanbul Declaration, signed by 108 countries last year, this year’s forum aims for an extensive Outcome Document to be signed by more than 180 countries. This declaration aims to transform the zero waste approach beyond a voluntary declaration of good intentions into a policy framework based on concrete global commitments.
A New Diplomacy Model Emerges from the Zero Waste Forum
The Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul is not just an environmental event; it hosts the construction of a new diplomacy model as a multi-actor, multi-level, and financially robust global cooperation platform.
Three Ministries, Three Strategic Transformation Areas
Three high-level ministerial sessions within the forum will outline the sectoral and structural roadmap for global sustainability. Ministers from around the world, hosted by Turkish Republic ministers, will focus on the following strategic areas:
- High-Level Energy and Natural Resources Ministers Session: This session will address future energy policies, including the relationship between renewable energy investments and waste reduction, circular economy applications in energy production processes, resource efficiency in critical raw materials, and the balance between energy security and sustainability.
- Agriculture and Forestry Ministers Session: This session will explore the zero waste approach in food systems and the protection of natural assets, covering topics such as reducing food loss and waste, water efficiency and basin-based management, forest conservation and carbon sinks, and circular model applications in agricultural production.
- High-Level Industry and Technology Ministers Session: This session will focus on redesigning production processes and technological transformation strategies. It will evaluate sustainable production models in all their dimensions, including clean production technologies, industrial symbiosis applications, converting waste into economic value, and integrating R&D and innovation into the circular economy.
Strategic Infrastructure for COP31 Established in Istanbul
The issue of zero waste, which has not been a main agenda item at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) summits until now, has been made one of the main negotiation topics of COP31 through the initiatives of the Zero Waste Foundation and Ms. Emine Erdoğan. The Istanbul Zero Waste Forum will be the most critical preliminary platform where technical and political issues are matured and multilateral cooperation protocols are shaped before COP31 in Antalya. The decisions made here will guide global climate policies for the next 10 years.
Turkey’s Power in International Climate Diplomacy
The forum is a strong reflection of Turkey’s new role in the global environmental and climate agenda. Turkey is simultaneously pursuing its national transformation, regional collaborations, knowledge sharing with developing countries, and contributions to global policy documents. The meeting in Istanbul is considered a technical and diplomatic threshold on the road to COP31. Turkey is bringing the zero waste approach to the international platform as a concrete, applicable, and measurable solution model for the climate crisis. The Zero Waste Forum, to be held from June 5-7, 2026, at Istanbul Airport, is not just an event; it is the beginning of a new era in climate diplomacy. The Zero Waste Foundation invites all global stakeholders who wish to protect humanity’s common home, transfer resources to future generations, and build a more just world to be a part of this historic summit.
A Globally Norm-Setting Model from Turkey
The Zero Waste Project, launched in 2017 under the patronage of Ms. Emine Erdoğan as a social movement, has today transcended national borders with the ownership of 86 million citizens, transforming into a globally referenced development model. This movement, which impacts the fate of the planet with a supra-political vision, is positioned as one of Turkey’s most constructive and solution-oriented instruments in international climate diplomacy. The historic decision taken at the UN General Assembly, under Turkey’s leadership and co-sponsorship of 105 countries, to declare March 30 as International Zero Waste Day, has become a lasting legacy gifted to the world from this land.
The UN High-Level Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, chaired by Ms. Emine Erdoğan, has led the institutionalization of zero waste policies in 193 member countries through its continuous work for 3 years. The 10-year strategic cooperation agreement signed between the Zero Waste Foundation and the United Nations has made the foundation a direct partner of the international system. The presence of the Zero Waste Foundation logo alongside the UN logo and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) logo on the official UN website is the most concrete sign of this global trust and institutional depth.
Source: http://mobil.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/istanbul-dunyanin-en-buyuk-sifir-atik-etkinligine-ev-sahipligi-yapacak-43183936
