OMM Redaksiyası
Türkiye’s first lady and chair of the UN Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, Emine Erdogan, has highlighted the global environmental crisis and called for new production and consumption systems.
Speaking in a video message to the opening of the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings, organized by the World Economic Forum in New York, Erdogan said the planet was facing mounting environmental pressure, according to the Anadolu Agency.
“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.
Zero waste as a key to sustainable development
Erdogan expressed regret at being unable to attend the meeting in person, saying current production and consumption systems were not capable of carrying humanity into the future.
She said the transition to a circular economy required stronger sustainable development measures, expanded recycling, improved waste management and greater use of renewable energy.
“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,” Erdogan said.
Call for durable and repairable products
The first lady stressed the need for new economic models capable of transforming 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,” she said.
Erdogan said there was still an opportunity to tackle 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 added.
She called for joint action to protect resources rather than consume them and create value instead of waste.
Thanking the World Economic Forum for organizing the meeting, Erdogan said she hoped to meet participants at COP31, which will be held in Antalya.
