Ankara, Türkiye, (October 27, 2026): Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), Türkiye has announced an ambitious target to cut the projected global increase in municipal waste generation by at least half by 2035. The initiative will also focus on promoting resource reuse and strengthening international cooperation to combat climate change.
Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s minister of environment, urbanization and climate change and president of COP31, announced the target while delivering the opening address at a panel discussion in Ankara on Tuesday.
The panel, titled “From Zero Waste to COP31: Türkiye’s Climate Diplomacy,” was organized by the Directorate of Communications of the Turkish Presidency. Speaking at the event, Kurum said climate commitments must translate into tangible, practical action.
“If the devastating impacts of the climate crisis are being felt in our daily lives,” he said, “then the results of our pledges to address climate change must also be clearly visible.”
Kurum said Türkiye wants COP31 to be a conference focused on concrete action. Achieving established goals, he added, will require accelerating investment and expanding international partnerships.
He also said the conference would focus on ten key priorities for Türkiye, emphasizing that environmental commitments must go beyond declarations and lead to meaningful action.
The Climate Crisis and Global Responsibility
COP31 is taking place as the world grapples with wars, political instability and economic uncertainty. Kurum warned that the need to address climate change must not be overlooked amid these crises.
He noted that while political and economic conditions may continue to change, some damage to nature could be irreversible.
Burhanettin Duran, the Presidency’s Head of Communications, also stressed the importance of global cooperation in tackling the climate crisis.
He said the effects of climate change do not stop at national borders, making it impossible for any country to address the crisis effectively on its own.
According to Duran, the goal of climate diplomacy is to develop international policies that balance nations’ sovereign rights, global responsibilities and the demands of social justice.
Environmental Impacts of the War in Gaza
Duran also addressed the environmental consequences of Israeli military operations in Gaza. He said the damage caused by the war extends beyond the loss of human life and the destruction of infrastructure, affecting the environment and contributing to climate change.
He noted that available estimates of carbon emissions resulting from Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, underscore the scale of the crisis. According to Duran, these emissions exceed the annual carbon output of hundreds of individual countries.
Duran said the consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza extend beyond regional peace and security, affecting the environment and the future of generations to come.
Climate Diplomacy
COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. Türkiye sees the conference as an important opportunity to advance its climate diplomacy and strengthen global cooperation on climate issues.
During a panel discussion in Ankara, participants explored the concept of “Zero Waste,” climate policies and Türkiye’s role in international cooperation. They discussed how environmental goals could be translated into concrete action in the lead-up to COP31 and during the conference itself.
The panel was moderated by Associate Professor Merve Özdemir, a faculty member at the Faculty of Communications at Yozgat University. The speakers included Halil Hasar, director of the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; Professor Abdulmenaf Turan of Ankara University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences; Mehmet Ali Kahraman, director of the COP31 Presidency Office; and Mustafa Ardağı, director general of the Zero Waste Foundation.
A key challenge for Türkiye will be turning proposed goals into measurable results, determining the level of investment needed to achieve them and establishing how different countries will contribute to these efforts.
Kurum said Türkiye’s message at COP31 would be clear: it is time for implementation.
