A launch event was held for the book “Zero Waste in the Poles,” prepared in partnership between the Zero Waste Foundation and the TÜBİTAK Institute of Polar Research (KARE), which highlights sustainability and environmental awareness in the polar regions. The book brings together Turkey’s national and international efforts in the areas of combating climate change, environmental protection, and science diplomacy.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said; emphasized that this project—which represents the intersection of the Zero Waste Initiative and the Polar Science Expeditions conducted under the TÜBİTAK KARE framework—highlights Turkey’s scientific and environmental vision on a global scale. He thanked the editorial board, TÜBİTAK MAM President and KARE Director Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, the academics, the TÜBİTAK KARE experts, and the Anadolu Agency team that provided the visuals for their contributions to the publication.
Two National Visions Come Together in a Single Scientific Work
Noting that 2017 marked a turning point for both the Zero Waste Initiative, launched under the leadership of Her Excellency Emine Erdoğan, and the Polar Science Expeditions, launched under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister Kacır said, expressed that they were deeply honored to have facilitated the participation of Turkish scientists in these expeditions and to have enabled them to conduct high-quality scientific research in polar regions under the leadership of the Institute of Polar Research, which they established with TÜBİTAK in 2019. Recalling that in the past, researchers could only participate as guests on expeditions organized by other countries, Kacır emphasized that today, more than 300 scientists have carried out fieldwork using national resources through the 10 Antarctic and 6 Arctic expeditions organized since 2017.
Climate Change Research and Scientific Studies
Noting that the polar regions are the Earth’s most critical natural laboratories for analyzing the effects of global climate change, Minister Kacır stated that the rate of global warming in the polar regions is 3.5 to 4 times higher than the global average. Explaining that the research conducted under the TÜBİTAK KARE initiative aims to develop early warning systems and preventive models based on scientific data to address the climate crisis, Kacır noted that noted that TÜBİTAK’s R&D and innovative project support plays a strategic role in the process of integrating green production, green transition, and circular economy approaches into Turkish industry.
The TEKNOFEST Generation Becomes Researchers on Polar Expeditions
Minister Kacır stated that high school students who won the Polar Research Projects Competition and the Climate Change Research Projects Competition—held annually by TÜBİTAK as part of TEKNOFEST—are included in polar expeditions as researchers alongside scientists, and emphasized that the young people trained through these projects not only gain expertise in the scientific field but also demonstrate their academic success through the national rankings they achieve on the Higher Education Institutions Exam.
Permanent Turkish Science Base and Strategic Goals
Minister Kacır, who also touched on Turkey’s goals of strengthening its position within the Antarctic Treaty System, noted that contributions to the international literature aimed at securing Turkey’s place among the 29 full member countries of the Antarctic Consultative Council—where Turkey currently holds observer status—are gaining momentum. In this regard, Kacır announced that all project work related to the Permanent Turkish Research Station, and stated that the Environmental Impact Assessment approval processes have been completed. He also noted that efforts to join the Arctic Council are being pursued with determination to increase scientific activity and international cooperation in the Arctic region as well.
