Zero Waste Foundation’s Initiative Leading Up to COP31: Zero Waste Agenda

The sustainability world prepares for the COP31 summit in November, and the question on the minds of leaders and followers of the movement is: how do climate commitments translate into action?

This inquiry was central to Zero Waste Week that took place in Istanbul in June of 2026. The Zero Waste Foundation hosted the event, bringing together policymakers, businesses, international organizations, and prominent citizens through the Zero Waste Forum and Zero Waste Festival.

Once a lone national sustainability initiative, the Zero Waste Movement has grown into a global structure, with a vision of resource efficiency and circularity for practical climate action. The Zero Waste Movement positions itself as a bridge between climate ambition and implementation, a shift reflected in the scale of the events.

The Zero Waste Forum welcomed representatives from 183 countries, from ministers to mayors, international organisations and private sector leaders. The discussion centered on issues for the climate movement: food waste, methane reduction, circular cities, sustainable industry and resource efficiency. 

With governments and businesses facing pressure to deliver climate outcomes, the conversation shifted to execution. How could cities reduce waste? How could industries use resources more efficiently? How could climate action create economic value rather than simply compliance obligations?

These questions may become important pieces of the climate agenda, but meanwhile the Zero Waste Festival also received significant participation. The foundation reported that the event drew a purported one million visitors and featured attractions in sustainability, culture, technology, and education.

These Zero Waste events may spread globally and carry momentum ahead of COP31, and serve as an example that meaningful climate action necessitates policy support and public participation.

Continuing the climate conversation ahead of COP31, Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 Climate High-Level Champion, participated in London Climate Action Week

A large independent climate gathering, the event brings together policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others, much like the Zero Waste Forum. This represented another opportunity to communicate ideas and actions, specifically zero waste, ahead of Antalya and the COP31. 

However, the opportunity may have been more than raising awareness for Ağırbaş, as it also presented the opportunity to position zero waste as a practical, scalable climate solution. To Ağırbaş, inefficiency within the supply chain, discarded resources, and avoidable waste streams are lost economic value, making zero waste potentially appealing to economic and business leaders present. 

Growing sustainability pressures may also increase the appeal of circular economy principles, and they can take shape as strategic business priorities instead of becoming environmental side projects. 

The Zero Waste Movement’s vision aligns with this shift in priorities as climate resilience and resource efficiency become related conversations, and further, a part of the same agenda. 

With sustainability events such as the Zero Waste Forum, Zero Waste Festival, and London Climate Action Week, zero waste implementation may be a part of the upcoming conversation at COP31.

The main question for members of the movement, policymakers, and entrepreneurs coming out of these discussions seems to be how to implement more effective use of resources across nations and around the world. In November, a clearer answer may take shape, or a greater depth of questioning may appear. The world waits to see.