During the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressed an audience of fellow First Ladies, high-level UN officials, diplomats, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the "Towards a Global Zero Waste Movement" event held at the Türkevi (Turkish House). 

In her speech, Emine Erdoğan called on the "human family" to join the Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration and be a part of immediate change. She emphasized that the "critical threshold" for addressing the climate crisis has arrived, urging global action beyond discussions to the implementation of urgent action plans. Erdoğan highlighted the escalating effects of climate change, referencing recent unprecedented disasters in Turkey, Libya, Greece, Bulgaria, and Georgia as stark reminders.

She also pointed out global waste statistics, noting that 127 tons of food are produced every second, with 41 tons wasted while 820 million people face hunger. Additionally, she mentioned that 1 billion plastic bottles are used globally every minute, threatening marine life as much of this waste ends up in oceans. 

According to Erdoğan, Turkey’s zero-waste efforts over the past six years have conserved resources equivalent to 650 million tons of raw materials, protecting land and water sources on a significant scale. However, she stressed that these efforts alone cannot reverse global environmental degradation, urging major polluting nations to take responsibility. 

Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York, praised Emine Erdoğan’s environmental initiatives, recognizing the importance of shared responsibility for the planet. He expressed gratitude to her, emphasizing that without addressing pollution, a healthy world for future generations would be impossible. 

Source: [tccb.gov.tr](http://www.tccb.gov.tr)