Türkiye is seeking to bring locally developed climate solutions to the global agenda at the upcoming 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) summit, with Samed Ağırbaş, president of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, calling for greater international support to turn municipal projects into concrete action.
Speaking at the "Towards COP31: Local Climate Action Policy Dialogue,” Ağırbaş called for greater international support for municipalities seeking to address climate risks, stressing that cities would play a decisive role in tackling the climate crisis as Türkiye prepares to host COP31.
"Local projects are ready; the world needs to pave the way for these projects,” Ağırbaş said, highlighting financing difficulties, limited project-development capacity and data gaps as major obstacles facing local authorities.
"The climate crisis was not born in a conference hall, and its cost is not paid there either,” Ağırbaş stressed, adding that decisions made by mayors and municipal councils could sometimes produce results faster than international agreements.
As the COP31 high-level climate champion, he said his responsibility was to bring the experiences of local communities and disadvantaged groups into international climate negotiations.
Under this approach, workshops on zero waste, the environment and climate change are being organized across Türkiye’s 81 provinces. Their findings are expected to contribute to a "Local Climate Action Call for COP31,” which will be presented to the international community in Antalya.
Türkiye highlights zero-waste achievements
Ağırbaş also highlighted Türkiye’s zero-waste initiative as an example of how local action can contribute to broader environmental goals.
He said the initiative, launched in 2017 under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan, had helped raise Türkiye’s recycling rate from 13% to nearly 40% over nine years, while 90 million tons of waste had been brought back into the economy.
"Türkiye is not a country waiting for solutions from the world; it is a country offering solutions to the world,” he said, arguing that successful environmental policies should be practical enough for households to adopt and adaptable across different countries.
He described zero waste as a bridge connecting different approaches to combating climate change, underscoring the importance of waste reduction and resource efficiency in wider climate efforts.
The event was organized through cooperation between the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA), the World Academy for Local Development (WALD), the United Nations in Türkiye and the Zero Waste Foundation.
The program aims to strengthen local climate leadership and accelerate the translation of global climate targets into practical measures at the municipal level.
Ağırbaş warned that climate action would not be sustainable if it overlooked vulnerable households struggling with energy bills or families displaced from their homes.
"The climate crisis will be solved by people on the ground; our responsibility is to stand alongside them,” he said, describing COP31 as an opportunity to bring local solutions together and give municipalities a stronger voice in global climate policymaking.