Janez Potočnik (pronounced [ˈjaːnɛs pɔˈtɔtʃnik]; born 22 March 1958) is a Slovenian politician who served as European Commissioner for Environment from 2009 until 2014.

On 27 November 2009 he was nominated to serve as European Commissioner for the Environment in the Barroso Commission.

[2] While commissioner, Potočnik stated that he believes trading knowledge and the development of an information society to create prosperity is as important to Europe as trading steel and coal to create peace was 50 years ago.

[3] Since 2014, Potočnik has been co-chairing – alongside Alicia Bárcena (2014–2017) and Izabella Teixeira (since 2017) – the International Resource Panel at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP);[4] he succeeded Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker in that position.

[6] Since July 2020, he has also been serving as a special advisor on sustainability to European Commissioner for the Environment & Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius.