Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday warned that climate change poses a grave threat to humanity, comparing its impact to that of war and global pandemics, while highlighting the achievements of Türkiye’s Zero Waste initiative.
“The climate issue is a serious problem that threatens all of humanity, just like war and global pandemics,” Erdogan said at the gala dinner of the Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul.
He said climate- and production-related problems, from air pollution and food contamination to food shortages, waste management and natural disasters, are triggering one another in a “butterfly effect.”
Erdogan said the impact of these problems is being felt more strongly each year across a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, health, agriculture and livestock.
He said the issue should be addressed as a climate crisis rather than merely climate change, adding that a clear definition of the problem would help produce more rational solutions.
“We are living in an era where artificial intelligence and new technologies are speeding up production, while unconscious consumption habits are wearing down nature,” he added.
Climate injustice
The Turkish president also criticized what he described as global inequality in the face of the climate crisis.
“The countries that have the largest share in deepening the climate crisis are also those least affected by this crisis,” Erdogan said.
“On one side, millions of people are struggling under harsh conditions to find a piece of bread to eat and a sip of water to drink, while on the other, luxury and waste continue in all their recklessness,” he added.
Citing a UN World Food Program report, Erdogan said 43 million children worldwide are currently gripped by hunger.
He said one-third of food produced annually, or 1.3 billion tons, is wasted, while more than 3 million children die every year from hunger-related diseases.
Global waste threat
Erdogan said the waste problem also poses a major global threat.
He pointed to the “garbage continent” in the northern Pacific Ocean, which he said was highlighted by first lady Emine Erdogan at the opening of the forum, describing it as a “truly frightening example” of the scale of the problem.
The area, made up of tons of waste and plastic, covers 1.6 million square kilometers, he said.
“The data we have show that this problem will deepen rather than diminish,” Erdogan said, adding that global solid waste, which stood at 2.1 billion tons in 2023, is expected to rise to 3.8 billion tons by 2050 if no measures are taken.
Türkiye’s environmental diplomacy
Erdogan said the forum, held at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, addressed key issues ranging from the circular economy and climate-friendly production models to turning waste into economic value and improving resource efficiency.
He noted that the event brought together more than 120 ministers from 183 countries, over 200 mayors and more than 500 international stakeholders.
“With the participation of more than 5,000 people, from youth organizations to the private sector, from civil society groups to policymakers, academics and decision-makers, this forum is a clear indication of the high level Türkiye has reached in environmental diplomacy,” Erdogan said.
He said the forum was also important because it focused not only on theoretical discussions, but also on concrete, applicable and measurable solutions.
Erdogan said the forum carried particular significance ahead of the COP31 climate summit, which Türkiye is set to host in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in November.
“The mission undertaken by the forum on the road to the COP31 Conference of the Parties, which we will host in Antalya in November, is very, very valuable,” he said.
“In this respect, it was extremely correct and appropriate that the theme of the forum was determined as ‘The Road to Antalya: Climate Action’ through zero waste,” he added.
Zero Waste Movement
Highlighting the international reach of Türkiye’s environmental efforts, Erdogan said the Zero Waste Movement has evolved into a global environmental mobilization recognized by the UN.
The movement was launched in 2017 under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdogan, he said.
“In 2022, the declaration of March 30 as International Day of Zero Waste in a vote in which Türkiye was the main sponsor and 105 countries were co-sponsors became the most valuable fruit of these sincere efforts,” Erdogan said.
Türkiye sees nature both as “a trust from God” and as a legacy that must be passed on to future generations, he said, adding that the country is taking necessary steps on the environment, climate and waste management.
Erdogan said Türkiye acts with an approach based on green transformation, the circular economy and sustainable development, while working intensively to minimize the effects of the climate crisis.
Economic, environmental gains
The president said projects and practices implemented under the Zero Waste initiative have generated substantial economic and environmental benefits.
“With the projects and practices implemented through the Zero Waste Movement, we have contributed a total of 365 billion Turkish liras to our economy,” he said.
Erdogan said Türkiye has recovered 90 million tons of waste, prevented 613 million trees from being cut down, and avoided 180 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the carbon absorption of 36 million trees.
The initiative has also helped save significant natural resources, Erdogan said.
“We have achieved savings of 2 trillion liters of water, 270 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, 60 billion liters of oil, and 390 million cubic meters of landfill space,” he added.
The Turkish president also pointed to steady progress in recycling and resource recovery efforts.
“Our recovery rate, which stood at 13% in 2017, rose to 37.53% in 2025. We will increase this rate to 60% by 2035 and to 70% by 2053,” he said.
Erdogan also expressed hope that the forum’s joint declaration and final outcome document would contribute to new steps in the fields of environment and climate.
The Zero Waste Forum, held June 5-7, is led by Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdogan, who chairs the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste and serves as honorary president of the Zero Waste Foundation. The event is supported by UN agencies, including UN Environment Programme and UN-Habitat.
