Zero Waste Foundation pushes COP31 implementation agenda at World Economic Forum in Geneva

Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş met with global institutions, businesses and civil society in Geneva on July 6-7 to advance circular economy, clean energy, climate finance and health talks ahead of COP31 in Antalya. The trip also showcased the Zero Waste Movement’s global expansion and its push to turn climate pledges into measurable projects.

Why it matters: - The Geneva meetings were designed to move climate talks from pledges to delivery ahead of COP31 in Antalya. - The agenda linked waste reduction, decarbonisation, clean energy, climate finance and health policy into one implementation push. - The Zero Waste Foundation is using the World Economic Forum platform to widen cooperation with governments, companies and international organisations.

What happened: - Samed Ağırbaş, president of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, spent July 6-7 in Geneva on a two-day climate diplomacy programme tied to the World Economic Forum. - Ağırbaş met Sebastian Buckup, managing director of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate. - Ağırbaş also took part in WEF sessions on circularity, decarbonisation, energy systems and electrification. - Ağırbaş opened the Leadership Dialogue “From Commitment to Competitive Edge” and delivered remarks on climate leadership. - A separate conference on zero waste and microplastics was held at Türkiye’s Consulate General in Geneva. - Ağırbaş met leaders from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, We Mean Business Coalition and the World Health Organization.

The details: - The Geneva programme focused on the circular economy, the energy transition, climate finance, and health and food systems. - Discussions with Buckup centered on protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, transforming food systems and turning climate commitments into implementation. - The circularity and decarbonisation session examined ways to cut industrial emissions, improve resource efficiency, scale circular business models and mobilise private capital for hard-to-abate sectors and carbon removal. - The energy session focused on accelerating clean energy, modernising and expanding power grids, and using blended public-private investment partnerships in regions with limited energy access. - Ağırbaş said climate leadership is now a driver of economic competitiveness and called for tangible outcomes in low-emission transport, green corridors, clean energy and sustainable industrialisation. - Ağırbaş said the main challenge is aligning policy, finance and implementation, not waiting for new technology. - Ağırbaş said the Global Climate Action Agenda will keep strengthening implementation-focused cooperation among governments, the private sector and international organisations. - At the zero waste conference, Türkiye’s Consul General in Geneva, Salih Boğaç Güldere, called the Zero Waste Movement an exemplary UN-recognised initiative and a global success story under Emine Erdoğan’s leadership. - Ağırbaş said the movement’s path from Türkiye to the global stage shows how zero waste has become part of broader environmental diplomacy. - Ağırbaş warned that the waste crisis is now as urgent as the climate crisis and pointed to microplastic pollution as a human health risk. - Ağırbaş said the UN General Assembly’s designation of March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste marked a turning point. - Ağırbaş discussed climate finance, adaptation investment and a just energy transition with Anne Hammill and Natalie Jones of IISD and Member of Parliament Rümeysa Kadak. - Ağırbaş and We Mean Business Coalition CEO María Mendiluce discussed private-sector climate action and the circular economy ahead of COP31. - The programme ended with a WHO meeting on the health impacts of climate change and implementation of the Belém Health Action Plan. - The Global Zero Waste Forum in İstanbul brought together more than 5,000 participants from 183 countries, and Ağırbaş presented its outcomes in Geneva as a model for measurable action. - The Geneva visit built on the global expansion of the Zero Waste Movement under Emine Erdoğan, who is the founder of the movement, chair of the UN Advisory Board on Zero Waste and honorary president of the Zero Waste Foundation. - The Foundation said its Switzerland engagements strengthened international cooperation on the road to COP31 in Antalya.

Between the lines: - The trip shows how the Zero Waste Foundation is trying to tie a niche waste agenda to larger climate priorities like finance, energy and industrial policy. - The emphasis on implementation suggests a strategy shift from broad climate ambition to project-level delivery. - Bringing in health, food systems and microplastics broadens the political case for zero waste beyond environmental ministries.

What's next: - The Zero Waste Foundation will use the COP31 process to push for projects that can be measured and delivered in Antalya. - The Global Climate Action Agenda is expected to keep building partnerships among governments, companies and international organisations. - Further coordination is likely around circular economy, clean energy, climate finance and climate-health work before COP31.