Remembering Jason Potts
It is with great sadness that we announce that Jason Potts, visionary and leader in championing inclusive sustainability standards, has died. His work towards making trade more sustainable and fair will always live on, emboldened forever by his leadership.
It is with great sadness that we announce that Jason Potts, visionary and leader in championing inclusive sustainability standards, has died.
He passed away peacefully on the morning of January 31, 2018 in Montreal, surrounded by his family.
“Jason was a much beloved colleague at IISD; everyone admired his passion for justice and greatly enjoyed working with him. He brought principle, creativity and fervour to each moment of his work,” said Scott Vaughan, President-CEO, IISD. “His work towards making trade more sustainable and fair will always live on, emboldened forever by his leadership.”
"Jason was always an incredibly inspiring colleague," said Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Director, Economic Law and Policy, IISD. "He was always full of wisdom. He was precise, and a brilliant writer. He was always persuing perfection in his work in the spirit of making the world a better and fairer place. It was never to put himself forward but the cause. He leaves a great vacuum. We will miss him."
"Jason was truly inspiring as a colleague and as a leader in his field," said Flavia Thomé, Senior Operations Manager, IISD. "His IISD family will miss him, his good humour and brilliant ideas. We hope to make him proud by continuing to work on his projects and advance his work."
Throughout his career, Jason dedicated himself to forging new paths of sustainability and justice to advance communities and protect nature around the globe. At IISD, Jason led the State of Sustainability Initiatives, which tracks and issues regular reports on the characteristics, performance and market trends of sustainability initiatives internationally.
His innovative leadership resulted in globally respected entities such as the Committee on Sustainability Assessment, the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade and the Sustainable Commodity Assistance Network, all of which work to champion and monitor sustainable trade.
In recognition of his lifelong commitment to sustainable trade, Jason was recently the first recipient of the IISD Outstanding Achievement Award.
About IISD
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 250 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.
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