COP31 and Zero Waste: What Is in Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy File?

Why It Matters

Türkiye's COP31 role matters because it joins a host-country presidency, a signature environmental programme (Zero Waste) and an unresolved question about Türkiye's status in the UN climate regime. As publicly reported, Türkiye is to host the summit in Antalya in November 2026 and hold the COP presidency, while Australia was reported to lead negotiations under a compromise settled at COP30. Whether the arrangement delivers depends on how Ankara balances its host role with its own national interests, especially on climate finance.

Background

How the hosting arrangement came about

UN climate summit hosting rotates among regional groups. COP31 fell to the Western European and Others Group, in which both Türkiye and Australia are members and both had put themselves forward. Because UNFCCC decisions are taken by consensus, the group did not settle on a single host in the usual way. During COP30 in Belém (November 2025), a compromise was publicly reported:

• Türkiye hosts COP31 in Antalya and holds the COP presidency; the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, was widely reported as the intended President.
• Australia takes a role described as 'President of Negotiations', with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen reported in that function, and a pre-COP meeting was reported to be planned in the Pacific region.

The 'President of Negotiations' title is a political understanding rather than a formally defined UNFCCC office. Under UNFCCC rules the COP President is elected by the parties, so the exact division of responsibilities will become clearer through the formal decisions and the host country agreement. Readers should treat details beyond those reported above as unconfirmed.

Türkiye's climate-regime milestones

What Zero Waste is

Zero Waste is a national programme promoted by the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change handling much of the implementation. It covers waste prevention, separate collection, recycling and resource efficiency across public buildings, municipalities, businesses and households. It was internationalized through the UN: the Secretary-General established a High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste chaired by Emine Erdoğan, and in December 2022 the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste, first observed in 2023. The resolution is a consensus-based recognition of the concept. It does not impose binding obligations on states.

Türkiye's targets and domestic measures

Türkiye's updated nationally determined contribution (NDC), submitted in 2023, targets a reduction of up to 41 percent against a business-as-usual scenario by 2030, with net zero by 2053. The 2025 Climate Law establishes a legal framework for the national emissions trading system and reinforces the role of the Ministry's climate change directorate. Details of allocation and pricing are set through secondary legislation, so readers should check the latest regulations.

Key Players & Positions

Türkiye

The Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change frame COP31 as an opportunity to present Zero Waste as a practical climate and resource-efficiency tool and to advance an 'implementation' agenda. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles the diplomatic side, including consultations within the Western European and Others Group and with developing-country blocs. See Türkiye's Position below.

Australia and the Pacific

Australia's government has said publicly that it will play a significant role in steering the negotiations and that Pacific priorities, notably climate-vulnerable island states, should be central, including through a pre-COP held in the region. Pacific governments have long argued that the political weight of the COP should reflect the frontline risks they face, such as sea-level rise.

The UNFCCC Secretariat and other parties

The UNFCCC Secretariat supports whichever host the parties approve and does not take a position on hosting contests. Developing-country groups have generally emphasized climate finance, adaptation and loss and damage. Developed-country parties have emphasized ambition on mitigation and, increasingly, a wider donor base. Some analysts note that Türkiye's status in the regime could become a talking point in that donor-base debate.

Civil society and analysts

Environmental groups and independent trackers have criticized Türkiye's reliance on coal and the pace of emissions reduction, and some have questioned whether a host with a growing emissions profile can push ambition. Others argue that host-country responsibility can itself catalyze policy progress, citing the adoption of the Climate Law ahead of the summit. Both points deserve weight: the criticism concerns the trajectory, while supporters point to concrete legislative steps.

Source Comparison

Coverage of COP31 differs in emphasis, not primarily in facts. International outlets tend to foreground the unusual hosting compromise and Türkiye's emissions profile. Turkish official sources emphasize Zero Waste, the Climate Law and Türkiye's legal status.

For parallel readings, see the sister-publication analyses: Interstate Journal on COP31 in Antalya, Borders & Blocs on COP31 and Zero Waste and Doctrine Review's COP31 guide. On Ankara's wider diplomacy, including UN Security Council reform, see The Global Anatomy.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• COP31: The 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, scheduled for Antalya in November 2026.
• COP President: The elected presiding officer of the conference, who chairs plenary sessions and consultations. The reported 'President of Negotiations' role for Australia is a political arrangement.
• Annex I / Annex II: UNFCCC lists of industrialized parties. Annex II parties have financing obligations. Türkiye is in Annex I but not Annex II since the 2001 Marrakesh decision.
• NDC: A nationally determined contribution, a country's climate pledge under the Paris Agreement.
• Zero Waste (Sıfır Atık): Türkiye's waste-prevention and resource-efficiency programme, recognized by the UN through the International Day of Zero Waste.
• CBDR-RC: Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, a core UNFCCC principle.

Related Regional File guides: The Maritime File, Reading the 2025 Marine Spatial Planning Document, Editorial Principles and Primary Source Standards, About Regional File and the Regional File home page. For wider diplomatic context see Regional Balance on Türkiye's global diplomacy.

Closing note

Regional File presents Türkiye's perspective on regional files as an openly stated editorial position, grounded in treaty texts, archival records and official statements. Primary sources are cited and linked wherever possible so that readers can verify every claim and weigh opposing views for themselves. Final COP31 arrangements should be checked against UNFCCC decisions and official announcements, as details may change.