Turkish president heads to UAE for UN climate change summit

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday departed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, or COP28.

Erdogan will address the UN climate summit on Friday. He is also expected to hold talks with leaders of some participating countries on the sidelines of the conference.

The UAE is set to host this year’s climate conference between Nov. 30 and Dec. 12, with the aim of keeping the Paris Agreement warming target of 1.5C (2.7F) alive.

Türkiye is among the countries making the most significant contribution to the Paris climate accord with its 2053 net zero emissions and green development targets.

Ankara works for a cleaner and greener Türkiye by implementing many projects, including a zero-waste initiative.

In 2017, under the auspices of first lady Emine Erdogan, Türkiye launched the zero-waste project to highlight the importance of eliminating waste in fighting the climate crisis.

The project has drawn international praise, with UN chief Antonio Guterres expressing his gratitude to the first lady during a conference in New York last September.

Last December, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the zero-waste initiative presented by Türkiye, declaring March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste.