Ekaterina Filatkina – #SDG12 Youth Ambassador in Russia: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Ekaterina was born and raised in Moscow. As a child she acted in movies and performed in a professional theater. She has a BA in Ecology from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. At present, Ekaterina is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Systems Development Management at the Moscow Witte University and in Research, Development and Innovation Management at the Higher School of Economics.
Both Ekaterina’s research, and professional, and social activities are linked with ecology and SDG 12, in particular. She works at the Association “League of Recyclers”, where she is involved in the development of the pulp and paper industry. She runs her own project in the field of ecological consulting. She is also the chair of the “Green Universities Moscow” association and the organizer of the “Vivid Green” research club at the Sustainable Development Management Department of the Moscow Witte University.
– Do you think that people in 2045 will be better off, worse off, the same as you are today?
– If the current global development trends, the consumption patterns and the surplus economy stay the same, in 2045 people will be in a worse situation. We are now witnessing problems such as technological safety at work (an incredible number of fires, spills lead to environmental disasters); declining biodiversity, animal extinction; climate change and the growth of consumer waste generation. These problems will only increase in the future.
– What would you advise the UN Secretary-General to do to address the global challenges?
– To overcome global challenges, I would advise to promote the social policy aimed not only at the survival of the population and maintaining a high quality of life, improving the demographic and environmental situation, but also at preserving each nation and each ethnocultural group in a multinational state; and building a community of shared destiny of humanity. I’d also advise to urge all countries of the world to transcend national, ethnic, cultural and ideological boundaries, in the interest of all people on the planet. And to reaffirm the common understanding that no war, neither nuclear nor information, can be won and must never be fought.
