The Case
for Nature
by Siddarth Shrikanth
A hopeful journey, across every inhabited continent, showing how we can weave the value of nature into our economies and societies.
‘A must-read for all those who care about the planet’ · Isabella Tree
‘Clear and tangible examples of how to not only safeguard humanity’s future, but fuel economic growth and prosperity’ · Al Gore
The other planetary crisis
As the world continues to warm, another crisis is often overlooked but just as dire: the global collapse of our ecosystems. The Case for Nature presents a compelling vision for tackling this other crisis by rethinking our relationship with nature in economic, social and even personal terms.
A nature-positive economy
Shrikanth argues that we can build flourishing economies and societies by preserving and restoring our planet’s natural capital, and introduces the pioneers of this nature-positive revolution with vivid examples from across the world. He also asks us to look at the roots of the crisis, drawing on Indigenous world views to show that nature must be woven into our modern societies, not set apart.
For everyone
By offering a hopeful yet deeply pragmatic perspective on how we can live in harmony with our living planet, The Case for Nature is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand how nature can help us forge a more sustainable future, and what they can do to contribute, whatever their work or way of life.
Endorsements
What readers and reviewers say
Shrikanth provides clear and tangible examples of how to not only safeguard humanity’s future, but fuel economic growth and prosperity.Al GoreFormer US Vice President & Nobel Laureate
Fascinating and deeply informed, The Case for Nature offers a radically optimistic yet eminently practical new path towards tackling the twin crises of climate and biodiversity. Essential reading.Mary RobinsonFormer President of Ireland
Eloquent, informed and inspiring: a must-read for all those who care about the planet.Isabella TreeAuthor of Wilding
Shrikanth’s central point, that we need to urgently come up with smarter and more effective ways to tackle a surging natural catastrophe, is undeniable.Pilita ClarkFinancial Times
The natural world is disappearing at an alarming rate. Siddarth Shrikanth has written a thorough and heartfelt guide to the strategies that we might use to change course.Henry ManceAuthor of How to Love Animals
Climate change and the nature crisis are deeply linked, and we cannot address one without the other. The Case for Nature is a deeply engaging and insightful guide to natural capital, and a much-needed reflection on our relationship with the planet we love.Alicia SeigerStanford Sustainable Finance Initiative
Detailed and world-tested… Perhaps biodiversity will indeed be the next great cause?ProspectTop Thinkers 2024
Through lively and inspiring examples… his writing is clear, engaging and enlightening.Julian CribbCouncil for the Human Future
A triumph and a vital resource as we move towards a world in which the intrinsic value of healthy, vibrant nature is recognised.Ben GoldsmithEnvironmentalist & financier
We made this economy; now we can remake it.
The journey
One living planet, many frontiers
The book’s case is built through stories from wetlands, reefs, farms, cities and grasslands across every inhabited continent, where a new relationship with nature is already taking shape. Explore a few of the places that shaped it.
Nature can be worth more alive than dead.
Nature will bounce back if you do it the right way.
Isabella Tree
In protecting nature, we protect ourselves.
Get the book
Bring it home
Available in paperback, hardback and ebook. Choose your region for the best places to buy.
Paperback & hardback
Ebook
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Worldwide, with free delivery
Blackwell’s ships worldwide with free delivery, so it is the simplest option wherever you are.
The Case for Nature is a not-for-profit project. The author’s royalties support conservation efforts in the landscapes featured in the book.
Sustainability takes on a deeper meaning when it operates on millennial, rather than quarterly, timescales.
For book clubs & classrooms
A reading-group guide
Whether you’re reading with a book club, a class or a team, choose a lens, economic, social and political, or intrinsic and spiritual, and work through an open question for each chapter.
Open the reading guideThe moment that we remove the pressure from nature, she tends to jump back.
Christiana Figueres
About the author
Siddarth Shrikanth
Siddarth has spent his career at the intersection of finance, technology, policy and the natural world. He grew up in India and studied conservation biology at Oxford, before beginning a career spanning McKinsey & Company, the Financial Times, and academic stints at Stanford and Harvard. Siddarth is now based in London and works in climate and nature investing. He was named one of Prospect’s Top Thinkers of 2024.
The Case for Nature grew out of years of travel and hundreds of conversations, and was written to bring to life the stories that show how we can weave the value of nature into our economies and societies.
Media mentions
Selected coverage
Reviews, interviews and features on the book and its ideas, from the UK, India and beyond.
‘Shrikanth’s central point, that we need to urgently come up with smarter and more effective ways to tackle a surging natural catastrophe, is undeniable.’
Read the review McKinsey Author Talks interview‘What will it take to save the planet?’ A conversation on cutting emissions and investing in our natural assets.
Read the interview Prospect Top Thinkers 2024‘Detailed and world-tested… Perhaps biodiversity will indeed be the next great cause?’
Read the feature The Print Feature‘Provides hopeful insights into environment conservation… vital reading for the human future.’
Read the feature Scroll.in InterviewHow putting a price on nature could help protect the environment, and where the limits of that idea lie.
Read the interview Outlook India FeatureMaking a compelling case for nature: on valuing the natural world and weaving it back into how economies work.
Read the featureFestivals & events
On stage around the world
For guest lectures, media appearances, community events and other invitations, get in touch at hello@thecasefornature.org.
Siddarth is represented by the Lorella Belli Literary Agency (LBLA). For rights, translation and permissions enquiries, please contact info@lorellabelliagency.com.
On the syllabus
Read in courses and programmes worldwide
Field notes
The occasional letter from the field
Now and then, a dispatch from the frontiers of nature and the economy: places, ideas and people worth knowing about. Sign up and we’ll send you the opening chapter to start.
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In the author’s words
Snippets to share
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