COP31 and Zero Waste: What Does Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy Aim to Achieve?

Why It Matters

COP31 is the first UN climate conference to be hosted by Türkiye, and it gives Ankara a platform to present the Zero Waste initiative, a Turkish-originated idea now endorsed by the UN General Assembly, as part of the global climate toolkit. The summit will also test whether negotiators can move on climate finance, adaptation and the implementation of the Paris Agreement at a time of geopolitical strain. For readers, the core question is what Türkiye wants to achieve: a credible, balanced outcome in which a middle-income, rapidly industrializing economy acts as a bridge between developed and developing countries.

Background

The Zero Waste initiative

Zero Waste began in Türkiye in 2017 as a national project under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, aiming to reduce waste at the source, improve recycling and build a circular economy. It was backed by a national Zero Waste Regulation in 2019. In 2020 the UN Secretary-General established a High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, which Emine Erdoğan chairs. On 14 December 2022 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, put forward by Türkiye and co-sponsored by many member states, proclaiming 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste, first observed in 2023. The UN Environment Programme and UN-Habitat jointly facilitate its observance.

Türkiye in the climate regime

Türkiye joined the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2004 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2009. It is listed in Annex I of the Convention, but it was removed from Annex II (the list of states with financing obligations) after the 2001 Marrakech decisions recognized its 'special circumstances'. Ankara was among the last G20 members to ratify the Paris Agreement: the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) approved it on 6 October 2021, shortly after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced a net-zero target for 2053. An updated 2030 national contribution followed in 2023, and a national Climate Law was adopted in July 2025, creating a legal basis for an emissions trading system.

Road to COP31

The COP31 hosting question was settled through the UNFCCC's regional-group process and diplomatic consultations around COP30 in Belém, Brazil (November 2025). According to the arrangement announced through that process, Türkiye hosts the conference in Antalya in November 2026, while Australia holds a distinct role leading the negotiating track and a pre-COP is planned in the Pacific. Because the exact division of responsibilities is defined by UNFCCC decisions and joint announcements, this article describes only what has been officially confirmed. Readers should check the UNFCCC secretariat and the host governments for current details on who presides over which segment.

Finance and the Paris framework

The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to hold warming well below 2°C, pursuing 1.5°C. Article 9 requires developed countries to provide climate finance to developing ones. The 2009 Copenhagen pledge of USD 100 billion a year was succeeded at COP29 in Baku (2024) by a New Collective Quantified Goal of at least USD 300 billion a year by 2035, with a wider aspiration of USD 1.3 trillion a year from all sources. Many developing countries called that figure inadequate. That debate frames COP31.

Key Players & Positions

The developing-country debate

The UNFCCC principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (Article 3 of the Convention) is interpreted differently. Developed states argue that large emerging economies should contribute to finance and deeper cuts. Developing states respond that per-capita and historical emissions remain far lower, and that the 1992 annexes were deliberate. Middle-income economies such as Türkiye sit awkwardly in these categories, which makes them natural brokers.

Climate Diplomacy as Middle-Power Strategy

Türkiye describes itself as a country spanning Europe, Asia, the Black Sea and the Middle East, with a large manufacturing base and rising energy demand. This position shapes its climate diplomacy in three ways. First, it has an incentive to push for finance and technology access, since its transition costs are high. Second, it has credibility with both groups: it belongs to the G20 and NATO but also engages heavily with Africa, the Gulf and Central Asia. Third, it uses soft-power tools such as Zero Waste, humanitarian aid and mediation to build coalitions. Comparable treatments from sister publications examine how this connects to institutional reform, including The Global Anatomy on 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' and COP31 and Regional Balance on Türkiye's wider diplomacy, from Gaza to UN reform and COP31.

What to watch

• Whether the Antalya outcome strengthens adaptation finance and builds on the Baku goal.
• How negotiating roles and the Pacific pre-COP shape the agenda.
• Whether a fossil-fuel transition roadmap gains broader support.
• How Türkiye's own emissions trading system develops, since host credibility depends on domestic delivery.
• How the absence or reduced role of the United States affects finance expectations.

Source Comparison

Both views contain valid points: independent analysts rightly examine domestic implementation, while Turkish sources rightly note that the UN instruments, not media categories, set formal obligations. For methodology on how we handle such differences, see our Editorial Principles and the Reader FAQ.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• COP: Conference of the Parties, the annual decision-making body of the UNFCCC.
• Zero Waste: A circular-economy approach that prevents waste generation, maximizes reuse and recycling, and reduces landfill methane.
• NDC: Nationally Determined Contribution, each party's climate pledge under Paris.
• CBDR-RC: Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
• NCQG: The New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance agreed at COP29.
• Annex I / Annex II: UNFCCC lists of industrialized countries and of those with financing obligations.

For further reading, see the sister analyses Borders & Blocs: COP31, Zero Waste and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy and Interstate Journal: COP31 in Antalya. On this site, see About Politics Republic for our mission and editorial team.

Perspective Note

Politics Republic presents global and regional affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy and legal doctrines as stated by Turkish primary sources. Authored by the Politics Republic Editorial Team.