By Enes Kılıç
New York, NY – Ahead of the March 30 International Day of Zero Waste at the United Nations forum, Ambassador Sedat Önal showcased the significant strides made by Türkiye in environmental conservation through its National Zero-waste Initiative. Launched in 2017 under the leadership of First Lady Emine Erdogan, the initiative has positioned Türkiye as a proactive participant in global zero-waste efforts. These efforts have been recognized by the UN Advisory Board on Zero Waste, which focuses on promoting sustainable practices worldwide, and applauded by UN Chief Gutierres.
Ambassador Önal outlined the key impacts of embracing a zero-waste vision. These include mitigating immense adverse effects on the environment and biodiversity, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, generating vast economic opportunities, and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ambassador presented noteworthy achievements of Türkiye’s initiative: the preservation of 498 million trees, prevention of 5.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, generation of an economic gain of 185 billion Lira, saving of 2.6 billion kWh of energy and 819 million cubic meters of water, and the recycling of 45.5 million tons of waste. These accomplishments underscore Türkiye’s commitment to sustainability and its influential role in global environmental initiatives.
