Jason Clay’s ideas are changing the way governments, foundations, researchers and NGOs identify and address risks and opportunities for their work.

Why you should listen

A senior vice president in charge of markets at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US), Clay's goal is to create global standards for producing and using raw materials, particularly in terms of carbon and water. He has convened roundtables of retailers, buyers, producers and environmentalists to reduce the impacts of producing a range of goods and to encourage environmentally sensitive practices in agriculture, aquaculture and industry. He thinks deeply about the evolving role of the NGOs in the 21st century, using venture philanthropy to make them more nimble and operating at the speed and scale of life on the planet today. Before joining WWF in 1999, Clay ran a family farm, taught at Harvard and Yale, worked at the US Department of Agriculture and spent more than 25 years working with NGOs.

What others say

“Our goal is to figure out how to produce more with less land, less water and less pollution, so we won't be the only species left living on this planet.” — Jason Clay