Partha Dasgupta | The Value of The World Around Us

Renowned economist Sir Partha Dasgupta is the Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. For decades, he has been at the forefront of rethinking the relationship between economics and the natural world.

In On Natural Capital, Partha challenges the very foundations of how we measure prosperity. Traditional models tell us our economies are thriving when they are growing, but they fail to account for the resource on which all growth depends: nature itself. For centuries we have treated the natural world as infinite and free, yet our relentless demand has driven us into a global ecological crisis.

What if we were to put a true value on nature, not just as scenery or backdrop, but as the very capital that underpins our survival? Could this shift in perspective radically transform the way governments, businesses and individuals make decisions? Partha argues that only by integrating ecology with economics can we find a path to sustainability, and ultimately, to saving ourselves.

In conversation with Sian Kevill.