Turkey targets zero-waste goals at COP31 despite methane pledge gap
President Erdogan cited a rise in recycling rates to 40% while urging nations to commit to circular economy measures during the Antalya summit.
By Noor Graham ·
Turkey is urging global leaders to adopt a zero-waste framework at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, a move that contrasts with the host nation's absence from the Global Methane Pledge. The initiative seeks to reduce emissions through material reuse and recycling, aiming to align international climate efforts with more concrete waste management targets.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented data showing the national recycling rate increased from approximately 13% in 2017 to about 40% by the end of 2025. He told the summit that 90 million tons of waste have been reintegrated into the economy since the zero-waste movement began. Erdogan stated that the country will continue efforts until the goal of zero waste is achieved.
The conference includes ten priority areas outlined by the host, with accelerated electrification and zero-waste initiatives dominating early discussions. Emine Erdogan, the Turkish first lady, has been a central figure in promoting the initiative. The plan focuses on cutting food waste, reducing methane emissions, and establishing a circular economy where materials are repeatedly reused.
Samed Agirbas, president of the nonprofit Zero Waste Foundation, noted that recovered materials can become cheaper when reliable supplies and efficient processing outweigh collection and transport costs. Energy experts suggest these measures could slow global warming and lower the environmental footprint of renewable technologies such as solar panels and batteries.
Critics point to the nonbinding nature of many conference agreements and Turkey's own climate record. Turkey has not signed the Global Methane Pledge, a 2021 initiative that aims to cut methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. According to Climate TRACE, Turkey is the fifth-largest global emitter of methane from solid waste.
Berk Butan, who heads the waste campaign for Greenpeace Turkey, described the zero-waste target as good but argued it requires concrete measures and further action to address its shortcomings. The United Nations recently readjusted its decades-old goal for limiting global temperature rise after the world exceeded previous thresholds.
A circular economy could reduce emissions, but implementation challenges remain. Ke Wang, an energy expert at the WRI’s Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition, called it a vital strategy for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Adalberto Maluf, a top official in Brazil’s environment ministry, noted that waste and food loss account for almost 10% of total emissions and must be integrated into broader action plans.
Recycling critical materials is essential to reducing reliance on mining as the world adopts more renewable technologies. The International Energy Agency estimates that scaling up recycling could lower the need for new mining by 25% to 40% by 2050. However, the EU and the US are projected to have the capacity to recycle only 30% of their raw materials by 2040. Aimee Boulanger, executive director of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, stressed the need for incentives to retrieve and reuse materials in a circular manner.
