Emine Erdogan, wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, said changing people’s everyday habits could become an important part of the global effort to address the climate crisis.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of New York Climate Week, she stressed that environmental problems are linked not only to industry and the use of fossil fuels, but also to the modern culture of excessive consumption.
‘The Zero Waste movement has freed people from the role of helpless observers in the face of the climate crisis and turned them into key participants in finding solutions,’ Emine Erdogan said.
According to her, even small changes in people’s behavior, when widely adopted, can develop into a social culture and, with the support of effective government policies, evolve into a sustainable system.
Emine Erdogan recalled that Turkiye’s Zero Waste program was launched in 2017. The initiative was initially implemented at the Presidential Complex before expanding to schools, hospitals, municipalities, public institutions and households.
She noted that Turkiye’s waste recycling rate had increased from 13% to more than 37% during that period.
However, according to Emine Erdogan, the main achievement was not only the increase in recycling rates, but also a change in people’s attitudes toward environmental issues.
‘People realized that they can be not only the objects of change, but also the agents of change,’ she said.
Emine Erdogan called for a reassessment of habits associated with excessive consumption and urged people to build a relationship with nature based on the principles of moderation and fairness.
She drew attention to the scale of the plastic waste problem, noting that around 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide since the 1950s, of which approximately 7 billion tons have already become waste.
According to her, the environmental consequences of high levels of consumption are distributed unevenly and often fall most heavily on vulnerable communities, regions and future generations.
‘We must rebuild our relationship with nature based on moderation and fairness,’ she stressed.
At the same time, Emine Erdogan said responsibility does not rest solely with individual citizens. Governments and companies must create infrastructure that makes environmentally responsible choices easier, produce goods that are more durable and suitable for repair and reuse, and develop technologies for circular production.
Turkiye’s first lady also highlighted the international promotion of the Zero Waste initiative. In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the initiative, while March 30 was designated as International Zero Waste Day.
Emine Erdogan said Turkiye intends to promote the approach further at the upcoming COP31 climate summit, which the country will host in November.
‘No goal on its own will be sufficient; no technology on its own will be the solution,’ she said.
According to her, the outcome of climate meetings should be measured not only by the decisions adopted and speeches delivered, but also by the real changes that take place afterward.
Following her speech, Emine Erdogan participated in a workshop led by contemporary marbling artist Garip Ay, with whom she created a work using the traditional art technique. Representatives of the Turkish government, international environmental organizations, the media and numerous guests also attended the event.