Speaking at the ‘Emlak Konut Key Ideas Summit’ held in Istanbul, Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation, shared the global impact of the Zero Waste Movement, the international projects carried out and the future vision with the participants.
Launched in 2017 in Türkiye under the leadership of Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, the Zero Waste Movement is not only an environmental but also a civilization-based development model, said Ağırbaş, adding that this movement has now become an international reference point.
The Zero Waste Movement was brought to the United Nations in 2019. In 2022, with the joint presentation of 105 countries, March 30 was declared World Zero Waste Day by the United Nations General Assembly. This is the first day led by a first lady and recognized by the UN.
Secretariat of UN Advisory Board in Türkiye
Mr. Ağırbaş also drew attention to the second important decision of the United Nations on zero waste. Reminding that Mrs. Emine Erdoğan was appointed as the chairperson of the Zero Waste High-Level Personalities Advisory Board established by the UN Secretary General, Ağırbaş stated that the secretariat of the board is carried out by the Zero Waste Foundation.
Today, this advisory board is actively working in 193 countries. As the Zero Waste Foundation, we are developing projects to spread this vision both in Türkiye and internationally.
Cooperation with More Than 45 Countries
Referring to the diplomatic collaborations carried out by the Zero Waste Foundation around the world, Ağırbaş shared that cooperation agreements on zero waste, climate change and environment have been signed with more than 45 countries so far, and that a strategic agreement was recently reached with Russia.
It is predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in the seas in 2050. It is in our hands to change this picture. Civil society is one of the most powerful transformation tools at this point.
Zero Waste and Artificial Intelligence: Zero Waste AI & GPT
Referring to the Zero Waste Foundation's work on technology and digitalization, Ağırbaş stated that projects that integrate zero waste principles with artificial intelligence were implemented under the Zero Waste AI brand. He also said that a special search engine called Zero Waste GPT, which focuses on the environment, zero waste and climate change, has been launched in more than 50 countries.
In addition to these, Ağırbaş stated that the artificial intelligence-supported ‘Zero Waste Encyclopedia’ was published in Turkish and English, and said, "We identify, document and disseminate wherever there is a good practice in the world. Because we believe that goodness and knowledge multiply as they are shared."
Emphasis on Youth Trust
At the end of his speech, Mr. Ağırbaş expressed his trust in the youth and said, “I started mycivil society journey at a young age. I know from my own life what can be achieved when young people are given the opportunity. There are many young leaders growing up in Türkiye who will set an example in areas such as the environment and climate change.”
Mr. Ağırbaş also stated that they are ready to support environment-themed initiatives and start-ups in the fair area, and that they will be pleased to invest in such initiatives as Zero Waste Foundation.
