Climate Stakeholders Agree to Fight Toxic Fumes, Execute Zero Waste Programs

Industrial smokestacks releasing toxic fumes and heaps of garbage accumulating in urban landfills may appear to be two separate problems. However, both play a significant role in the climate crisis. Efforts to bring changes to these two sectors were discussed at the two-day leaders' summit of COP31 in Antalya, a Mediterranean city in Türkiye, through initiatives titled the "Antalya Green Industrialization Deal" and "Zero Waste."

More than 100 heads of state and government, along with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, reaffirmed their commitment to tackling climate change at the summit.

The 31st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Antalya, Türkiye. Such conferences carry particular significance for countries like Bangladesh, which face serious risks from rising global temperatures, extreme weather events and sea-level rise.

Developing countries have consistently played an active role at COP summits in demanding climate finance, adaptation support and technology transfer. Bangladesh's head of government has already called for an increase in climate funding at the meeting. The world will be watching closely to see what decisions emerge on these issues in the coming days.

The conference will run from November 9 to 20. Türkiye and Australia are hosting this year's event.

The industrial sector accounts for nearly one-quarter of global direct carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, transforming industry is essential to addressing climate change.

Against this backdrop, the COP31 Presidency organized a dedicated high-level event on green industrialization over the past two days. The organizers sought to build political support for the "Antalya Green Industrialization Deal."

The deal aims to increase investment in near-zero and low-emission industrial production and create markets for such products. Its two key instruments are the electrification of industrial processes and the increased use of circular materials.

In simple terms, this means replacing fossil fuels with electricity in factories and reusing discarded materials as new raw materials.

However, the initiative did not emerge overnight. Last year, through the Belém Declaration at COP30, countries made a collective commitment to global green industrialization. At COP31, efforts are underway to translate that commitment into practical action.

The same framework also includes the Global Green Industrialization Agenda, led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the LDC-GIF support mechanism for least developed countries (LDCs). The latter aims to connect the industrial development needs of these countries with appropriate technologies and technical expertise.

The leaders' statements clearly reflected this vision.

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an highlighted his country's experience, saying:

"From energy to industry, transport to agriculture, we are allowing the green transition to guide every sector of our economy. We are increasing investment in renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and promoting clean transport solutions."

A high-level discussion on electrification was also held in his presence, with the UN Secretary-General attending. Earlier this month, Türkiye also unveiled its national energy plan.

COP31 President Murat Kurum viewed climate action as an economic opportunity. In his words:

"There is considerable alignment between climate action and national interests. Using energy more efficiently strengthens energy security. Clean technologies create opportunities for industry and employment. Well-planned climate action is an investment in prosperity, security and competitiveness."

Alongside industry, waste management was another major topic of discussion.

Türkiye's First Lady, Emine Erdo?an, addressed a high-level event on the "Zero Waste" initiative. The event had two main objectives:

Strengthening political support to reduce the projected global growth in municipal solid waste by at least 50 per cent by 2035.

Increasing the global circular material use rate to at least 15 per cent.

The answer to why waste is a climate issue lies in methane. The waste sector accounts for approximately 20 per cent of human-caused methane emissions. This greenhouse gas is about 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in its ability to warm the atmosphere over a 20-year period.

In other words, reducing the amount of garbage in landfills means directly cutting one of the major sources of global warming.

The COP31 Presidency has already taken several steps in this regard.

On the opening day of the conference, the High-Level Champion launched the "#OneBillion Challenge" to reduce food waste. Supported by the Zero Waste Foundation, the initiative will bring together households, businesses, cities and communities to work collectively and share their solutions and experiences.

A global high-level dialogue was held to identify policies and projects aimed at reducing methane emissions from the waste sector.

The "Circularity Knowledge Sharing Network" was launched in the morning to help integrate circular economy principles into climate policies and promote the wider adoption of successful solutions.

Both events concluded with voluntary calls for participants to reaffirm their commitments and translate them into practical action.

At first glance, industry and waste may seem like separate issues. However, both initiatives are linked by a common principle: the circular economy.

Under the industrialization deal, increasing the use of circular materials is one of the key ways to reduce emissions. Similarly, the waste reduction initiative aims to raise the use of such materials to 15 per cent.

The central idea is to bring materials that would otherwise be discarded after use back into the production cycle. This reduces waste on the one hand and lowers industrial demand for new raw materials and associated emissions on the other.

The same philosophy was reflected in Erdo?an's speech. He said:

"The Earth is a sacred trust that must be protected and nurtured."

According to him, Türkiye's environmental and climate policies are guided by a culture that regards bread as a source of fertility, water as sacred and trees as life itself. He said Türkiye wants to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

However, significant challenges lie ahead. The calls for commitments at the waste-related events were voluntary, meaning they are not legally binding.

Whether the 2035 targets can be achieved in practice will depend on how effectively countries translate these appeals into concrete action. Clear information is also not yet available regarding the detailed terms of the deal, which countries have endorsed it and the extent to which it will be binding.

For a country like Bangladesh, which is highly vulnerable to rising temperatures, extreme weather events and sea-level rise, such international conferences are particularly important.

The LDC-GIF mechanism associated with the industrialization deal could open up opportunities for least developed countries to access technology and technical assistance. However, it remains unclear how much Bangladesh will benefit from this arrangement.

Developing countries have consistently raised their voices at COP summits on issues such as climate finance, adaptation support and technology transfer.

The world will be closely watching the remaining days of the conference to see what decisions are reached on these critical issues.