Amina Erdoğan, wife of the president of Türkiye and chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, took part in a leaders-level roundtable titled “Zero Waste, Circularity and Methane,” attended by heads of state and government and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, on the sidelines of the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya.
“We discussed issues ranging from food loss to methane emissions and from resource management to the circular economy, as well as ways to address them. Combating climate change requires a shift in mindset that goes beyond technical measures,” Amina Erdoğan wrote on her account on the X platform.
“Zero waste” from Türkiye to the world
COP31 President and Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum said the “Zero Waste” movement, launched under Amina Erdoğan’s patronage, had become a strong vision that carries Türkiye’s environmental experience to the global level. He added that through COP31, Türkiye seeks to make this approach a shared responsibility and collective effort for more countries.
In the conference’s Green Zone, the “Zero Waste Kitchen” presents food-waste prevention practices as part of the “7 Regions, 7 Kitchens” space. Visitors are served 23 dishes prepared with repurposed ingredients, while a zero-waste management system is applied throughout the conference venue, which covers 1.1 million square meters.
A video posted by the official COP31 account summarizes the first day of the Leaders’ Summit in Antalya. The summit enters its second day today under the theme “Resilient Cities and the Built Environment.”
COP31 through the eyes of a Turkish cat
In one of the conference’s notable scenes, a cat equipped with a small camera roamed the corridors of the COP31 venue in Antalya, filming delegates and visitors from ground level during the Leaders’ Summit. Türkiye is known around the world for the cats that live on the streets of its cities and are cared for by residents.
A video posted by the Daily Turkic account shows the cat touring the COP31 pavilions in Antalya.
Mehter band welcomes guests
The Ottoman military Mehter band is welcoming COP31 guests with traditional performances that have drawn notable interest from international delegations and foreign visitors.
Anadolu footage shows foreign guests watching a performance by the Mehter band at the COP31 venue.
Photos and video: COP31 President Murat Kurum, official COP31 Türkiye account
