COP31, Zero Waste and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy

Why It Matters

Hosting COP31 in Antalya in November 2026 places Türkiye at the centre of the UN climate process for the first time, under a shared arrangement in which Australia leads the negotiating track. For Türkiye, the summit is a test of whether a fast-growing, still coal-reliant economy that ratified the Paris Agreement only in 2021 can pair diplomatic leadership with credible decarbonisation. For the climate talks, it means a host that sits between the 'developed' and 'developing' categories of the UN climate regime and that argues for fairer access to climate finance.

The short answer to the question 'what does hosting mean?': prestige and agenda-setting power for Ankara, heavy scrutiny of its domestic record, and a rare chance to bring Zero Waste and finance-access themes into the negotiating mainstream.

Background

The facts below come from UN and Turkish official documents. Where details are not fully public, this is stated.

Türkiye in the UN climate regime

• 1992/2004: Türkiye was listed in both Annex I and Annex II of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its adoption, but did not become a party until 2004.
• 2001: The Marrakesh Accords (decision 26/CP.7) recognised Türkiye's 'special circumstances', removing it from Annex II, the list of countries obliged to provide finance, while keeping it in Annex I.
• 2009: Türkiye joined the Kyoto Protocol, without a binding quantified target.
• 2015–2016: Türkiye submitted an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (a 21% reduction from business-as-usual by 2030) and signed the Paris Agreement on 22 April 2016.
• October 2021: The Grand National Assembly (TBMM) approved ratification after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the decision at the UN General Assembly in September 2021. The agreement entered into force for Türkiye on 27 November 2021. The Presidency presented the delay as a matter of Türkiye's classification and access to finance. The exact nature of any assurances is not set out in public treaty texts.
• 2021: Erdoğan announced a net-zero target for 2053.
• 2023: Türkiye submitted an updated NDC: up to a 41% reduction from the business-as-usual path by 2030, an emissions peak no later than 2038, and a 2030 level of about 643 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent, according to Turkish official communications.
• July 2025: The TBMM adopted a Climate Law (Law No. 7552) that establishes a legal framework for the 2053 goal and an emissions trading system. Secondary legislation and implementation details are still being developed, so treat operational specifics as provisional.

The Zero Waste initiative

The Zero Waste initiative was launched in Türkiye in 2017 under the patronage of First Lady Emine Erdoğan and later given a regulatory base through Türkiye's Zero Waste Regulation (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 resolution 77/161, proposed by Türkiye and co-sponsored by a large group of states, declaring 30 March the International Day of Zero Waste, first observed in 2023 and facilitated by UNEP and UN-Habitat.

The COP31 arrangement

Both Türkiye and Australia sought to host COP31, and the Bonn session in mid-2025 did not resolve the competition. At COP30 in Belém (November 2025), the parties reached a compromise as announced through the UNFCCC process:

• Türkiye hosts the conference in Antalya in November 2026 and holds the COP presidency.
• Australia takes a leading role over the negotiations, under the title 'President of Negotiations', and a pre-COP is to be held in the Pacific.

The precise split of responsibilities (agenda management, chairing of plenaries, drafting of decisions) and the exact dates are governed by the host-country arrangements and UNFCCC procedures. Readers should check the UNFCCC Secretariat for the latest confirmed schedule.

Key Players & Positions

Türkiye

The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change leads the technical file, with the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directing the diplomacy. Official communications stress a 'Green Development Revolution' narrative, Zero Waste, renewable-energy expansion and nuclear power as part of the 2053 pathway.

Australia

Australia's government framed its role as ensuring a strong negotiating outcome and giving visibility to Pacific island states most exposed to sea-level rise. Canberra's official statements welcomed the compromise as a way to keep the talks on track.

The UNFCCC Secretariat and the parties

The Secretariat is responsible for the formal process. Parties such as the EU, small island states and developing-country blocs have called for faster fossil-fuel phase-down, a clear finance roadmap and implementation of adaptation goals. They will judge COP31 by outcomes rather than by hosting arrangements.

Critics and independent analysts

• Climate Action Tracker has rated Türkiye's overall targets 'critically insufficient' relative to the 1.5°C goal, arguing that the 2030 target allows emissions to keep rising from today's level.
• Environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Turkish NGOs point to coal power capacity, continued fossil-fuel support and, in the waste field, documented imports of European plastic waste as tensions with the Zero Waste branding.
• Some analysts question whether a two-country arrangement dilutes accountability, since the host's domestic record and the chair of negotiations are split between two governments.

What to Watch Through 2026

• Submission and ambition of Türkiye's next NDC, and how it treats coal.
• Secondary legislation and pricing under the emissions trading system.
• Whether the COP31 agenda gives space to finance for middle-income countries and to waste and circular-economy themes.
• The final host-country and negotiation-role details published by the UNFCCC.
• Wider diplomatic context, including Türkiye's push for UN Security Council reform, which shapes how Ankara frames global governance.

Source Comparison

Both sides draw on real data. The gap lies in which benchmark is chosen: a business-as-usual baseline (Ankara) or a trajectory consistent with 1.5°C (most trackers). For how this site handles contested claims, see Editorial Principles and Primary Source Standards.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• COP (Conference of the Parties): the annual decision-making meeting of states that have joined the UNFCCC.
• NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution): each party's self-set climate target under the Paris Agreement.
• Business-as-usual (BAU): a projected emissions path without new policies. A cut 'from BAU' is not a cut from current emissions.
• Net zero: balancing remaining greenhouse gas emissions with removals.
• Annex I / Annex II: UNFCCC lists of industrialised countries; Annex II members are expected to provide finance.
• Zero Waste (Sıfır Atık): Türkiye's waste-reduction and circular-economy initiative, recognised by UN General Assembly resolution 77/161.
• Pre-COP: a ministerial preparatory meeting held before the main conference.

Related guides:

• Türkiye's Mediation in the Russia–Ukraine War and the Black Sea Grain Initiative
• 'The World Is Bigger Than Five': Türkiye's Case for UN Security Council Reform
• Eastern Mediterranean and the Blue Homeland: Türkiye's Maritime Jurisdiction Explained, including the 2025 marine spatial planning and the Finike marine protected area
• About Bordersandblocs: Mission, Transparency and Editorial Team

Perspective Note

Bordersandblocs presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources.

Published by the Bordersandblocs Editorial Team.

Cross-Publication Dossiers & Sister Desk Perspectives

For complementary primary-source analysis across our specialist editorial network, consult:

• The State Papers: COP31 and Climate Diplomacy: Türkiye's Zero Waste Initiative and Hosting Role — How Türkiye's COP31 hosting role, Zero Waste initiative and 2053 net-zero target fit together: verified facts, stakeholder views and Ankara's stated policy.
• The Political Accord: COP31 and Climate Diplomacy: Türkiye's Zero Waste Initiative and Hosting Role — How Türkiye's climate diplomacy works: the Zero Waste initiative, the 2053 net-zero goal, and the COP31 Antalya hosting and presidency arrangement explained.
• Bloc Politics: COP31 and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy: Zero Waste, Hosting Role and What to Expect — How COP31 in Antalya works, what Türkiye's climate diplomacy and Zero Waste initiative mean, and how the EU, Global South and Pacific frame the talks.