On 28 August 2026, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (hereinafter referred to as BCRC China) and the International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) jointly convened the First Bi-monthly Webinar of the International Zero-waste City Network (August 2026, Session 1). The main session was hosted on Microsoft Teams, with simultaneous re?transmission for domestic participants via Tencent Meeting. A total of 50 representatives from more than 10 countries across the globe took part in the event.

Figure 1 Webinar of the International Zero-waste City Network 

The Webinar  was moderated by Zhao Nana, Assistant Director of BCRC China. In her opening remarks, Ms. Zhao noted that cities are major generators of solid waste as well as key test beds for advancing "Zero-waste City" development and circular economy transition. The International Zero-waste City Network establishes a dialogue and exchange platform for all its members, observers and relevant stakeholders. Felipe Dall’Orsoletta, Programme Officer at UNEP-IETC, spoke highly of the partnership with BCRC China. He underlined that the seminar brought together policymakers, researchers and civil-society organisations to jointly explore zero-waste transition pathways.

During the presentation segment, Dong Qingyin, Chief of Regional waste management branch, BCRC China gave a detailed overview of the governance structure, implementation progress and future development roadmap of the International Zero-waste City Network, and announced the planned launch of the 2026 call for "Zero-waste City" case studies. Felipe Dall’Orsoletta shared prevailing challenges and trends in global waste governance together with practical experience in youth engagement and technical cooperation, emphasising that young people constitute a pivotal driving force for zero-waste transformation.

 

 Figure 2 Dong Qingyin, Chief of Regional waste management branch, BCRC China, delivering a presentation; Felipe Dall’Orsoletta, Programme Officer of UNEP-IETC, delivering a presentation

In the open discussion session, participants from the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Zero Waste Directorate of Pendik Municipality (Türkiye), the Global Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council and Chinese institutions raised active questions. In-depth exchanges were carried out covering Türkiye’s practical experience, pilot-project cooperation, industry-university-research collaboration and artificial-intelligence applications.

Launched by BCRC China in 2022, the International Zero-waste City Network provides an exchange platform for cities and countries worldwide to advance the global zero-waste agenda and foster multi-stakeholder cooperation. As of 31 August 2026, the Network counts 115 members (including 10 co-sponsors) and 12 observers from 30 countries.