Chandran Nair

About thirty years ago, soon after returning to Asia from a few years volunteering in Africa on development issues, Chandran Nair became very interested in the nature of economic development and the resultant impacts on the environment and natural resources of the world. He was particularly interested in the question of what would happen if the poor countries of the developing world, which account for the majority of the global population, aspired to rich lifestyles. This led him to a career in environmental consulting, during which he built Asia’s largest environmental consulting group. Fifteen years in consulting offered him an opportunity to work with many from all parts of the world, both in government and the private sector, and gain deep insights into the impacts of a fast-rising Asia. His experience led to an acute appreciation of the untenable tension between growth and what by then had become known as sustainable development. Because of his belief that the developing world needs fresh ideas and that these should not simply be imported from the rich world, he left consulting to start the Global Institute for Tomorrow, which he labels a pan-Asian think “and do” tank. His views on issues in Asia and the developing world have been featured in the print media ranging from the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times to the Huff Post, Guardian, and China Daily. His opinions have been sought by an array of media outlets including the BBC, CNN, NHK, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, and Channel NewsAsia, among others. He is a member of the Club of Rome and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a keen sportsman and managed the Hong Kong field hockey team to two Asian Games. He plays the saxophone and used to play in a band during his time in Africa.