The third official meeting of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste was held under the chairmanship of First Lady Emine Erdoğan.
During the meeting, which took place at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Work Office, the topics discussed included "Advocacy and Strategic Engagement in High-Level Events 2024, Looking Ahead: Developing the 2025-2026 Work Plan," and the "2025-2026 Draft Work Plan." In her speech, First Lady Emine Erdoğan thanked the members for the inspiration and efforts they have demonstrated, stating, "As a result of our discussions, we all took notes and left with a bag full of project ideas to implement. We have noted each of your valuable suggestions and have already started initiatives to bring them to life quickly."
Emphasizing that there is not a single minute to lose, First Lady Emine Erdoğan said, "Just 54 days after our last meeting, we reached Earth Overshoot Day. This means that we consumed the resources nature can renew in one year in just 7 months. Since that date, every consumption we make shows that we are stealing from the future. The year 2024 has gone down in history as the first year the global warming limit of 1.5 degrees was surpassed, marking a critical threshold. The number of natural disasters related to climate change has reached record levels."
Zero Waste: A Valuable Step in a Great Transformation
Following a recent meeting, Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum, emphasized the importance of the Zero Waste Project, stating, "We view the Zero Waste Project as a crucial part of our vision for the 'Century of Turkey' and a valuable step towards significant transformation. Every awareness-raising effort and initiative we implement for climate justice will serve as a guiding light for humanity."
The meeting was attended by members of the Zero Waste Advisory Board, including Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumaklı, UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach, the First Lady of Suriname Melissa Santokhi-Seenacherry, the First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Maada Bio, José Manuel Moller, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Carlos Silva Filho, Laura Reyes, Lara Van Druten, Prof. Dr. Saleem Ali, Hakima El Haite, Gino Van Begin, Vijay Jagannathan, and Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş.
During the presentations, the participants expressed their gratitude to First Lady Emine Erdoğan for her hospitality and commitment to the Zero Waste Project.
