Antalya, Türkiye — When COP31 opens in Antalya tomorrow, it will do so as the first United Nations climate conference in history to hold both an ISO 20121 event sustainability certificate and a Zero Waste Certificate — certified before the summit has even begun.
The two certificates, awarded ahead of the 9–20 November conference, make the Antalya summit a test case for how the world’s biggest climate gathering can itself produce less waste.
A historic first, certified before opening
According to the official COP31 Türkiye page, “for the first time in COP history, both the TS ISO 20121:2024 Event Sustainability Management System Certificate and the Zero Waste Certificate have been obtained before the conference begins.” The ISO certification also marks the first issuance of this standard by the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) in Türkiye.
“Through this pioneering approach, COP31 sets a new benchmark for future UN Climate Change Conferences,” the presidency said.
ISO 20121 is the international standard for sustainable event management, covering how an event handles waste, energy, water, sourcing and its wider environmental footprint. The Zero Waste Certificate is issued under Türkiye’s national zero-waste system.
Zero waste at the heart of the COP31 agenda
Zero waste is one of ten priority areas in the COP31 Action Agenda, according to the presidency’s briefing to the United Nations in September 2026. The presidency’s 2035 targets include reducing waste generation and waste-related emissions, alongside raising electrification and promoting circular materials.
At the venue, a Zero Waste Museum in the form of a five-leaf structure will be open to visitors from both the Green Zone and the Blue Zone, presenting a different zero-waste theme in each leaf. The presidency has also extended the zero-waste vision to rural areas, with three villages in Antalya included in a Zero Waste Village project.
The Zero Waste initiative was born in Türkiye under the patronage of First Lady Emine Erdoğan and has since become a global brand. Samed Ağırbaş, president of the Zero Waste Foundation, is the COP31 Climate High-Level Champion.
Why it matters beyond Antalya
The certification lands as the rules on plastic waste trade are about to tighten. From 21 November 2026, exports of plastic waste from the European Union to non-OECD countries will be banned under the Waste Shipment Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, which came into force in May 2024. The European Commission reaffirmed the 21 November date on 18 September.
According to a European Commission assessment published in September 2026, the EU exported more than 1.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2025 alone. Of that, more than a third — 510,000 tonnes — went to Türkiye, making it the EU’s largest destination for plastic waste among OECD countries. Türkiye is an OECD member, so the ban on shipments to non-OECD countries does not apply to it — a distinction the presidency’s zero-waste push puts in the spotlight.
Data compiled by the Basel Action Network show the United Kingdom exported about 675,000 tonnes of plastic waste worldwide in 2025, of which 139,000 tonnes ended up in Türkiye.
The plastic debate will also reach the COP31 venue itself: the Zero Waste International Alliance will join a Canada Pavilion panel, “Beyond Cleanup: Scaling Solutions to Plastic Pollution”, on 11 November — a session covered in Watan News’ earlier report.
And the shift is visible on shop floors too: in Australia, retailers including Woolworths are reintroducing in-store collection points for soft plastics, with more than 700 Woolworths stores now offering dedicated bins, after the collapse of the REDcycle programme. Australia generates an estimated 538,000 tonnes of soft plastic waste a year, much of which still ends up in landfill.
FAKTA
- The first: COP31 is the first UN climate conference to hold both an ISO 20121:2024 certificate and a Zero Waste Certificate before opening.
- The standard: ISO 20121 covers sustainable management of events, including waste, energy, water and sourcing.
- At the venue: a Zero Waste Museum with five themed leaves, and a Zero Waste Village project in three Antalya villages.
- EU ban: exports of plastic waste from the EU to non-OECD countries are banned from 21 November 2026.
- EU exports: more than 1.4 million tonnes of plastic waste exported in 2025; 510,000 tonnes went to Türkiye.
- Zero waste champion: Samed Ağırbaş, president of the Zero Waste Foundation, is COP31 Climate High-Level Champion.
Conclusion
COP31 will be judged on its negotiations, but its zero-waste certification already sets a practical example: a summit that asks the world to waste less is, for the first time, showing how it can be done at its own venue.
