E163 Vian Sharif: Finance, AI and the Future of Nature

What happens when financial markets finally realise nature isn’t external to the economy — but fundamental to it?In this episode of the Oxygen Conservation Podcast, Rich Stockdale speaks with Vian Sharif, Founder of NatureAlpha — a company using AI and environmental data to help financial institutions understand how their investments impact the natural world.Today, NatureAlpha’s insights inform institutions representing over $25 trillion in assets, helping investors identify risks linked to biodiversity loss, water stress, pollution and ecosystem degradation.But Vian’s journey didn’t begin in finance boardrooms.It began with a transformative moment in Kenya that changed how she saw the relationship between nature and the global economy.This conversation explores the rise of nature risk in financial markets, the role of AI and data in conservation finance, and why the next major shift in investing may revolve around biodiversity and natural capital.Because protecting nature isn’t just environmental.It’s economic.