KL is an underrated city, as a melting pot of the global south.

Life becomes a much better place to live when one has clarity of purpose, and one is not a slave to the resume. Nothing of impact has come has been done by the performance of the resume. It is an outcome KPI, not an input just like sustainability reporting. Folks feel that doing reporting is doing real sustainability.

The Adani West Lounge, 31082024

Aeromobilities.

Airports are hardly ‘non-places’ (Auge 1995). Rather a space which are full of possibilities, of anticipation and of deep emotional connection.

Sustainable or Responsible Finance at the present is about calibration of the negative externalities of fund allocation in institutional lending. Capitalism in the climate era will soon make all forms of lending factor in carbon data as a proxy for good environmental governance at the deal scale.

What we need is the allocation of capital to conserve what we have and to build climate resilience across the board in particular in adaptation finance for the most vulnerable areas and communities. Insurance and real estate valuations are at the frontline of climate shocks and hence the most innovative solutions can be seen in those sectors.

The Afternoon High Tea at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai is an experience. From the service to the ambiance, it is top notch. Ensconced in the lap of Indian Ocean History, the surroundings are something to note. The food is good, but the service is one to note.

Having the quintessential Dabeli in the buffet meal was local brought in to a global market. The Champagne was class, ideal temperature for a wet Mumbai afternoon.

A good space to unwind over some bubbly and food, thoroughly recommend it.

It is a pleasure to meet Taufiq Khan who started his environmental career with me after his masters, after two years! Always nice to listen to the voices of the next generation of sustainability talent, and he is an incredible intellect in the carbon and climate space. We celebrated our August birthdays together over hummus and kunafa in Mumbai at a prominent Arab eatery.

The future of sustainability in India is in good hands with folks such as Taufiq thinking science over fluff.

A treatise on state capacity. As a student of public policy informally since my teen years, and having lived in many countries- the power of state capacity is the key differentiator in delivering public goods to the poorest citizen. Failed states in South Asia, have created a tarmac for migrant workers to go overseas and in India, between states.

Sadly, avenues to work for the state in India are through the civil services and lateral entry for experts is scoffed as anti social justice. People like me who hold Indian Passports, and are not in the civil service, will find avenues to write and work on policy through think tanks, media and non profits whether they are structured pathways to contribute in the development journey.