The Heat is On!

Hari Balasubramanian
5 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

As the world celebrates record-breaking moments on football's biggest stages during the FIFA World Cup, we're also witnessing record-breaking global temperatures. One inspires celebration (unless it’s a goal on your own net!). The other requires action.

As spectators and active participants, we have an opportunity to set different kinds of records—where innovation works with nature, where AI is powered by resilient systems, and where investments we make today leave future generations with stronger communities, healthier ecosystems, and a more resilient economy.

Over the last month, at Kingsbrae Conversations and the Atlantic AI Summit (check out Misty’s recap here) and most recently throughout London Climate Action Week, we have been seeing many opportunities for a resilient and sustainable future – not because the world should, but because it is in our self-interest.

Let's get physical, encourage people to care, and talk about being selfish. Read on below!

Let's get physical.

The extreme heat became a timely backdrop at London Climate Action Week, where The NAT hosted discussions on AI hyperscaling, food systems, oceans, and finance. Conversations around business, technology, climate, and nature are rapidly converging. AI conversations led to discussions about physical dependencies. First on power, then to water, then to land, which leads to communities and a license to operate. All of these relate to Nature.

Shifting from software to hardware. As AI accelerates, differentiation among, and value within, SaaS companies is becoming harder to justify. Data is becoming universal; the limiting factors will be physical assets that enable AI—and that AI cannot replace. Land. Water. Electrons.
Global pact for local on-the-ground impact. The recently launched C40 Global Urban Data Centres Pact is a mayoral vision to ensure urban data centres are strategically integrated into cities, resource-efficient, accountable to communities, and drivers of shared prosperity.

Let’s get people to care.

Facts inform. Stories move people. Most people don’t wake up thinking about biodiversity loss or climate risk. They think of what they value. Love. Health. Community. Money. Power. All of these relate to Nature.

Potential Energy, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, recently released its Fixing Climate Communications report, showing that messages that resonate the most are often the simplest: connect climate and nature to everyday priorities.
Open Planet’s How to Live on Earth film is the biggest “how-to” guide of our time, showing how humans are teaming up with nature to solve our biggest challenges.
The 2nd edition of The NAT Gala, which brings together capital, conservation and culture, returns to New York on September 20th. Reach out to learn more.

Let's be selfish.

Contributing to regenerative agriculture, circular systems, and healthy ecosystems isn’t just the realm of philanthropy; it’s becoming core to our self-interest—for our families, our health, and our future. The stronger those systems become, the more resilient our economies, supply chains, and communities become. The argument for sustainability is changing from what we should do to what business and investment must do to retain an edge in the market.

Selfishness in Practice:

Shifting global value chains.

Choking the world’s oil supply and related commodities in the Strait of Hormuz has precipitated a growth in sovereign energy production and a shift in agricultural input supply chains. With a dramatic reduction in fossil-derived nitrogen, alternatives are necessary.

The good news? Many bio-based alternatives already exist at competitive price points, enhancing yield, and without a transition lag. Why, then, haven’t they been implemented? Because change is hard and inertia is real. Also real – necessity being the mother of invention.

Sustainable solutions are moving from what we should do for a future we all enjoy to a necessary change we must make to continue business operations and our lifestyles.

Our portfolio company Carbonwave is seeing this shift firsthand, with an increase demand in their Sargassum-derived biostimulant which reduces the need for fertilizers while increasing yield across crop types.
Our partners at Oath Biome are using microbiology to restore the world’s soils. Commercial applications include reducing fertilizer need in agriculture and agroforestry systems while increasing yield and reducing farmer costs.
Our partners at Soul Forest are demonstrating that a regenerative landscape can generate natural and investment returns.

Bottom Line: The most selfish thing we can do is invest in nature.

The heat is on—not just for government and climate leaders, but for corporate leaders, board members, investors... everyone.

If we want to beat the heat (and break records that are a cause for celebration), Nature isn't just part of the answer; it underwrites all of the answers and is our greatest competitive advantage. So, be selfish and join us!