First Lady Erdogan urges global unity to fight climate crisis at UN meeting

First Lady Emine Erdogan has chaired the third official meeting of the United Nations (UN) Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste at the Presidential Dolmabahce Office in Istanbul.

She called for global unity to tackle climate crisis and waste management challenges in her opening remarks on Friday.

Erdogan highlighted the pressing challenges posed by environmental crises, urging swift and collective action.

"Despite everything, a fairer world is possible," she declared.

"It is achievable through our shared efforts. We are all partners in this vision."

Damage by both historical and current crises

Erdogan addressed the scale of environmental damage caused by both historical and current crises.

Referencing the aftermath of World War II, she noted that some of its environmental effects remain unresolved.

Turning to contemporary conflicts, she said, “Today, a single country can deploy explosives equivalent to three atomic bombs over a civilian area half the size of New York," referring to Israeli attacks in Gaza.

"The UN Environment Programme reports that cleaning up the waste from the destruction in Gaza could take decades. We are talking about 39 million tons of debris, with recycling even half of it estimated to take nearly 45 years,” the Turkish First Lady noted.

She emphasised that resources must be used to repair the planet, not to increase destruction, stressing the urgency of global action to protect future generations.

Climate change

Erdogan highlighted the devastating impact of climate-related disasters, stating that over 120 million people have been displaced this year alone.

“We are now just five years away from the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, yet we remain far from achieving the promises we made,” she said.

She also referenced humanity's overuse of the planet’s resources, pointing to this year’s Overshoot Day—when the world exhausted its annual supply of renewable resources just seven months into the year.

“From that point onward, every act of consumption has been theft from the future,” she warned.

Zero waste

Türkiye's First Lady Erdogan described zero waste as a transformative philosophy that could reshape consumption patterns and mitigate environmental disasters.

“Zero waste offers a roadmap to reverse this destructive trajectory and establish a sustainable way of life,” she stated.

She also encouraged the Advisory Board to focus on promoting this philosophy globally, emphasising the importance of 30 March, International Zero Waste Day, as an opportunity to raise awareness and galvanise action.

In closing, Erdogan called for unified leadership to consolidate efforts from different regions and bring diverse initiatives under a shared vision.

She also announced plans for a 2025 Zero Waste and Climate Change Forum, which will bring together countries, sectors, and organisations to further the goals of the zero waste initiative.

“Despite the crises we face, we hold on to great dreams and unshakable hope,” she concluded. “With collective will, a fairer and more liveable world is within reach.”