About Elisabeth Haub

Elisabeth Haub was a tireless environmental advocate and philanthropist. In May of 2016, Pace Law School was renamed in her honor, in recognition of the school's long-standing partnership with the Haub family. The Haub Family's gift to the Law School, the largest that Pace University has received in its history, establishes an endowment for the Law School, strengthens the school’s renowned environmental law program and funds innovative teaching initiatives.

The gift continues Pace University’s longstanding collaboration with the Haub family, building on Elisabeth Haub’s extraordinary legacy of promoting the progress of environmental law, with particular emphasis on activities that impact policy, promote a balanced approach to sustainable growth and reflect the global nature of environmental issues. Haub devoted much of her life to the stewardship of sustainability, forming the first foundation dedicated to establishing laws for nature conservation and environmental protection.

Since her death in 1977, Elisabeth Haub’s children and grandchildren have continued her environmental work through the family business – the Tengelmann Group, a German retail holding company – and by founding the Elisabeth Haub Foundations for Environmental Law and Policy. Elisabeth’s daughter-in-law, Helga Haub, shared her vision and continued her work by expanding the Haub Foundations to the United States and Canada. Elisabeth’s son, Erivan Haub, embraced his mother’s commitment to the environment in the family business, establishing sustainable management practices within Tengelmann long before corporate social responsibility became a professional standard. Liliane Haub, the third generation of the Haub family to focus on sustainability, has now assumed responsibility for continuing her mother-in-law’s work and has been instrumental in deepening the family’s relationship with Pace Law.

In 1997, Pace University and the International Council of Environmental Law, in collaboration with the Haub family, created the Elisabeth Haub Award for Environment Diplomacy. Given annually, the prestigious award recognizes the innovation, skill and accomplishments of diplomats, international civil servants and other negotiators who work to shape the world environmental order.