Turkish first lady spotlights environmental crisis, importance of establishing new systems

Türkiye's first lady and chair of the UN Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, Emine Erdogan, highlighted the global environmental crisis in a video message sent to the opening of the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings, organized by the World Economic Forum in New York.

“Our planet resembles a ravaged mine, the oceans cannot breathe, and cities are struggling to cope with their waste. Therefore, a circular economy is not one of the options before us; it is a necessity for our future,” she said in the video.

The first lady expressed her regret at being unable to attend the gathering and said that current production and consumption systems are not capable of carrying humanity into the future.

'We see zero waste as a key'

Emine Erdogan noted that achieving a transition to a circular economy means strengthening sustainable development, expanding recycling, improving waste management and turning toward renewable energy sources. She continued: “We see zero waste as a key to achieving all of this. Because zero waste is not merely a waste-management approach that individuals incorporate into their daily lives. Zero waste means redesigning our production and consumption models and redefining our relationship with nature,” she said, stressing the need for new economic models to transform the entire system from production to consumption.

“We must establish an order in which people who adopt zero waste in their lives are supported by the right systems, and in which the production of durable, repairable products whose materials can be reused is encouraged.

“Indeed, we still have a window of opportunity to combat the climate crisis and build a sustainable future. I believe that Zero Waste, which we launched in Türkiye in 2017 and which has now become a global movement, is a transformative force in making the most of this opportunity,” she said.

“With the right steps we take together, I hope we can make a new beginning — one in which we protect our resources rather than consume them, and create value instead of waste,” she added.

Thanking the World Economic Forum for organizing the meeting, Emine Erdogan expressed her hope of meeting the participants at COP31, which will be held in Antalya.