A high-level consultation bringing together global climate leaders, senior officials, and former United Nations climate champions concluded in Antalya in southern Türkiye on Sunday, with participants adopting a joint declaration that sets out a new roadmap for international climate action focused on zero waste and circular economy principles.

Hosted by the Zero Waste Foundation, the meeting brought policymakers and stakeholders together to take stock of the current state of global climate negotiations and outline key priorities as attention turns toward the COP31 process.

In his opening remarks, Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş framed the Zero Waste Project as a globally scaled initiative that has evolved beyond national boundaries since its launch in 2017 under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan.

He also pointed to institutional coordination efforts, noting that the foundation has initiated a structured platform bringing together U.N. offices in Türkiye under a unified working group.

"We are bringing together all U.N. offices in Türkiye regularly under a working group framework. Within this context, we are discussing what we can do for Türkiye and which steps should be taken in the upcoming period,” Ağırbaş said.

Looking ahead, Ağırbaş highlighted the upcoming Zero Waste Forum scheduled for June 5-7 in Istanbul, he described the event as a major civil platform for environmental dialogue.

"We expect participation from over 150 countries this year,” he said. "The Zero Waste Forum stands as the largest civil gathering in the field of zero waste and the environment. We are organizing this meeting together with the World Bank and relevant U.N. institutions, alongside more than 500 partners. This is a platform where individuals feel free to express ideas about the environment and the future of our world.”

Ağırbaş also reiterated Türkiye’s ambition to position Istanbul as a global hub for environmental governance. "We are closely following the vision put forward by our president to make Istanbul a center for the U.N,” he said.

"Within five years, we aim to host offices of more than 10 international organizations working on zero waste and environmental issues. One of these milestones has already been achieved with the opening of a U.N.-Habitat office,” he said.

Climate cooperation drive

Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin underlined the environmental pressures faced by the region, citing both tourism and agriculture. "Antalya hosts visitors at nearly 10 times its population each year,” Şahin said.

"At the same time, we have extensive agricultural activity. All of this places a significant burden on the environment. We are fully aware of this reality. As Türkiye, we are striving to ensure that all our operations are conducted in a sustainable manner, so that we can pass on this unique geography to future generations in the same condition, or even better,” he added.

Former foreign minister and member of Parliament Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, speaking during the session, positioned the climate crisis within a broader global framework of inequality and development challenges.

"We are at a turning point where not words but concrete results must speak,” he said. "The world produces over 2 billion tons of waste every year. At the same time, billions of people still lack access to basic waste management services. This situation reveals not only an environmental crisis but also deep social and economic inequalities.”

He added that climate diplomacy has become indispensable in addressing cross-border challenges. "Climate diplomacy and international cooperation have become more critical than ever,” Çavuşoğlu said.

"The climate crisis knows no borders, and solutions cannot remain confined within national boundaries. A trust-based, inclusive and effective climate diplomacy is the most powerful tool to bring countries with different conditions together around common goals,” he said.

Youth climate empowerment

Youth engagement also featured prominently in the discussions. Ömer Tayyip Erdoğan, a COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Youth Studies adviser and vice president of the Youth Diplomacy Association, emphasized the untapped potential of young people in advancing climate solutions.

"We are not here only to discuss an environmental issue,” he said. "We are here to reflect on the responsibility and potential of an entire generation. Young people around the world are developing highly creative ideas in the fields of zero waste and circular economy. However, many of these ideas remain at the conceptual stage due to the lack of structured support mechanisms,” he added.

U.N. Resident Coordinator Babatunde Ahonsi highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in accelerating climate action.

"These consultations provide a unique space to bring together diverse stakeholders, including youth, women, the private sector, local governments and civil society, to co-create solutions and deliver tangible contributions,” Ahonsi said.

"The leadership demonstrated through the High-Level Champions role strengthens today’s efforts toward a more inclusive and action-oriented future,” he added.

The meeting focused on translating the Global Climate Action Agenda’s 5-year vision into measurable outcomes, with particular emphasis on scaling implementation, strengthening partnerships and enhancing participation from non-state actors.

One of the key outcomes was the decision to establish an "Istanbul Zero Waste Working Group on Climate Change Mitigation,” aimed at integrating zero waste policies with climate strategies and reinforcing Istanbul’s position as a leading global city in sustainability governance.

At the conclusion of the program, High-Level Climate Champions adopted a joint declaration signaling a transition toward a more implementation-focused phase in global climate action. The declaration emphasized the role of zero waste as a strategic tool in combating climate change and called for stronger integration of circular economy approaches into national and international policy frameworks.