Zero Waste Foundation presents Türkiye’s COP31 vision in Hamburg

Hamburg, Germany — Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, held a series of high-level engagements at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on 1 July 2026. He presented the outcomes of the Zero Waste Forum to international stakeholders. He also discussed how the COP31 process can accelerate implementation through cooperation on circular economy, climate finance, sustainable cities and stronger business participation.

“Across our meetings in Hamburg, we underlined that climate success will not be defined by commitments alone, but by the speed and quality of implementation,” he said. “Under the global vision advanced under the auspices of H.E. Emine Erdoğan, we are working to ensure that zero waste, circular economy and climate finance become practical tools that improve daily life in communities. COP31 must strengthen cooperation networks, mobilise the private sector, support sustainable cities and turn international ambition into concrete outcomes.”

Zero waste vision moves onto the international climate agenda

The Zero Waste movement has evolved into a global vision under the auspices of H.E. Emine Erdoğan, Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation. Within this framework, the Zero Waste Forum has created a platform to strengthen global cooperation on resource efficiency, circular economy, waste reduction and sustainable development.

At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Ağırbaş shared the forum’s outcomes and the priorities of the COP31 process with representatives from international organisations, local government, finance and the business community. The discussions focused on moving sustainability goals beyond declarations and into actions that can be felt in the daily lives of communities.

Business participation and circular economy cooperation

Ağırbaş met with John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the role of the business community in climate action. The meeting addressed partnership opportunities in the circular economy, resource efficiency and waste reduction, as well as steps to strengthen business participation in the COP31 process.

He also took part as a keynote speaker in the opening session of Future Economy Day, where he emphasised a human-centred approach, private-sector partnership and the importance of climate finance. In his remarks, Ağırbaş underlined that international commitments must be transformed into concrete outcomes and that success will be measured by accelerated implementation and stronger cooperation networks.

Sustainable cities and local dialogue with Hamburg

As part of the programme, Ağırbaş met with Katharina Fegebank, Second Mayor of Hamburg. The discussions focused on the role of zero waste and circular economy in building resilient cities, as well as local cooperation opportunities linked to the COP31 process.

The meeting also addressed the establishment of a lasting dialogue mechanism between Hamburg and the COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Office. The dialogue aims to support cooperation on climate innovation, circular economy and the contribution of local administrations to sustainable urban transformation.

Partnerships and climate finance for implementation

Ağırbaş also met with Tatiana Molcean, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of UNECE, to discuss circular economy, green industrial transformation, the sharing of regional good practices, capacity-building processes and long-term partnerships that can help turn global sustainability commitments into reality.

In a separate meeting with Frank Scheidig, Global Head of Senior Executive Banking at DZ BANK, Ağırbaş discussed the climate finance agenda. The talks covered the alignment of international financial systems with climate goals, the mobilisation of private-sector capital, and investments in green infrastructure and circular economy.

Together, the engagements in Hamburg positioned the outcomes of the Zero Waste Forum held in Istanbul in June, within the international sustainability agenda and highlighted the COP31 vision as a process centred on cooperation, finance, cities and measurable implementation.

Contact: Ahmet Musa Bala | basin@sifiratikvakfi.org