Nature calls

A compelling enough read to ignite a people-planet partnership

- MOHIT HIRA

SIDDARTH SHRIKANTH'S THE Case for Nature: The Other Planetary Crisis is based not just on extensive research but also on the author's love for S nature and deep-rooted concern for a world that seems to be drifting away from what he lucidly refers to as "natural capital". Making a distinction with the more popular term, 'climate', he attempts to draw the reader back into the very ethos of nature at a fundamental level.

Shades of his tenure at McKinseyperhaps have led him to write,"Natural capital is simply a framework that can allow us to recognise a sliver of the value that we derive from the natural world: the ways in which our natural assets, like forests and oceans, can provide a range of ecosystem services that represent economic and social goods."

Having travelled widely, Shrikanth connects Kanha with Komodo, communities with carbon neutrality and policies with practicality. Of the 10 chapters into which the book is structured, I found two particularly insightful: Tech x Nature and Natural Capital: A Framework. More so, perhaps because the concept of Nurture Capital from YourNest, a venture capital fund I am associated with, is helping a unique breed of technology startup founders build long-term businesses.