Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy

The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy is the world’s most prestigious award in the field of environmental law. The Award has a distinguished history since 1979 shaped by progress in the field of environmental law and policy, and through collaborations with the Universite libre du Bruxelles and the International Council of Environmental Law. In 2016, the Family of Elisabeth Haub and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University established the award as it is known today to honor Elisabeth Haub (1899–1977), a noted philanthropist and advocate for strong laws for the conservation of nature. Chosen annually by an esteemed jury, the Award recognizes the innovation, skill, and accomplishments of lawyers, diplomats, international civil servants and other advocates who work to create the world environmental order.

2024 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m. EST

SUBMIT A NOMINATION

Call For Nominations

2024 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m. EST

The Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University invites nominations for consideration by the Jury for the 2024 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy.

The Award, which is granted annually by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, recognizes exceptional accomplishments in the field of environmental law and environmental diplomacy and is the most prestigious award of its kind.

Information about the Haub Award, including video recordings of past award ceremonies, can be found here: www.law.pace.edu/haubaward

Process of Nomination and Selection

A nomination for the Award may be submitted by any institution, international organization, diplomat, or any other person qualified in the field of environmental law and policy, including former laureates.  Members of the Jury may also initiate nominations for the Award. Nominations may be submitted for an individual or for a governmental or intergovernmental organization, an Indigenous peoples’ organization, or a non-governmental organization.

A Jury comprised of eminent leaders in the field of environmental law and diplomacy is responsible for selecting the recipient of the Award, which will be conferred in Fall 2024.

Nominations should be submitted online at www.law.pace.edu/haubaward or alternately, addressed to the Elisabeth Haub Award Jury, c/o Narinder Kakar, Secretary of the Jury via email to nkakar@law.pace.edu. Nominations must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. or 1700 hours Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, March 31, 2024.

Nominations should include any relevant information that can inform the Jury’s selection of the Laureate.  In the case of individual candidates, nominations must be accompanied by a curriculum vitae and/or biographical sketch which includes information on all the activities and publications of the candidate in the area of environmental law and diplomacy.

SUBMIT A NOMINATION HERE

Criteria for the Award

The Award may be granted for any of the following accomplishments:

  1. Contributions which have generally led to the progressive development of environmental law and policy;
  2. Particular practical success in specific instances as well as initiatives leading to a new idea or concept in the field of environmental law and policy of one or several countries.


The jury will convene to select the laureate and then a public announcement of the selection will follow.

Award Jury Members

The followed esteemed panel of individuals comprise the Jury for the 2023 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy: 

Horace E. Anderson Jr.
President of the Jury
Dean, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Liliane A. Haub
Pace University Trustee

Dr. Grethel Aguilar  
Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature

Justice Nambitha Dambuza        
Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Appeal, Republic of South Africa

Prof. Jonas Ebbesson
Professor of Environmental Law, Director Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre, Stockholm University

Prof. Alexander K.A. Greenawalt
Professor of Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Prof. Narinder Kakar
Professor Emeritus, University for Peace

Prof. Patricia Kameri-Mbote     
Director of the Law Division, United Nations Environment Programme

Rose Lesley Kautoke 
Senior Crown Counsel, Head of Legal Advice and International Law Division, Attorney General’s Office, Government of the Kingdom of Tonga

H.E. Csaba Kőrösi    
Former President, 77th United Nations General Assembly

Prof. Smita Narula    
Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Prof. Nicholas A. Robinson
President, International Council of Environmental Law; University Professor on the Environment and Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law Emeritus, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Dr. Rômulo Sampaio
Professor of Law, Getulio Vargas Foundation School of Law, Brazil; Partner, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr & Quiroga Lawyers

Prof. Tianbao Qin     
Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law and International Law, Director, Research Institute of Environmental Law, Wuhan University; Vice President & Secretary-General, Chinese Association of Environmental and Resources Law

Past Laureates

2023

Ambassador Marja Lehto (Finland)
Ambassador Marie Jacobsson (Sweden)

In recognition of their pivotal roles advancing environmental law and policy to protect the environment in times of armed conflict
VIEW VIDEO

 
2022

Professor Paulo de Bessa Antunes (Brazil)
In recognition of his tireless advocacy to support the development and implementation of laws protecting the environment in Brazil
VIEW VIDEO

   
2021

Vanessa Nakate (Uganda)
In recognition of her work as a citizen diplomat inspiring climate activism in Uganda and beyond

Professor Wang Xi (China)
For his contributions to the formulation of environmental laws in China
VIEW VIDEO

2020 In memoriam to Environmental Defenders (Globally) 
In recognition of those who lost their lives defending their land and the environment from destructive industries 

2018

Stephen C. McCaffrey (USA)
As Special Rapporteur of the UN Convention on International Water Courses and Sustained Leadership Building International Environmental Law
2017 Reinhard Josef Krapp (Germany)
For exceptional and sustained commitment to advancing multilateral policy to further sustainable development and environmental values globally
2016 Christiana Figueres (Costa Rica)
In Recognition of her Remarkable Diplomatic Achievements as the Architect of the Paris Climate Accords
2015

Antonio Herman Benjamin (Brazil)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Luis Alberto Figueiredo (Brazil)
For his service to biodiversity when he served as Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs

Macharia Kamau (Kenya)
Csaba Korosi (Hungary)
For their contributions to the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their capacity as the co-chairs of the UN Opening Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

2014 Richard Macrory (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2013 Marc Pallemaerts (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2012 Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi
For Sustained and Innovative Leadership Establishing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
2012 Koh Kheng Lian (Singapore)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2011 Alan Boyle (Scotland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2010 Biliana Cicin-Sain
For her outstanding contributions to the international efforts to preserve the world’s oceans and several international agreements related to them
2009 Julio Barboza
For his outstanding service to international environmental governance

Donald Kaniaru (Kenya)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2008 Laurence Boisson de Chazournes (Switzerland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Hilario G. Davide, Jr. (Philippines)
For his exceptional leadership in building consensus for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly
2007 Françoise Burhenne-Guilmin (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

David Freestone (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Mohamed A. Sahnoun (Algeria)
For His Role in the Negotiation of Agreements Crucial to Sustainable Development
2006 Dinah Shelton (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Thomas A. Mensah (Ghana)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Klaus Töpfer (Germany)
For excellence in leading UNEP and advancing global environmental stewardship
2005 James MacNeill (Canada)
For facilitating “Our Common Future” leading the United Nations to convene the 1992 Earth Summit

Phillippe Sands (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2004 Mohamed El-Ashry (Egypt)
In recognition of his extraordinary service to the Global Environment Fund

Ramón Ojeda Mestre (Mexico)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2003 Peter H. Sand (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2002 Askar Akaev (Kyrgyzstan)
For initiating and inspiring the United Nations Year of the Mountains

Mohamed Ali Mekouar (Morocco)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2001 Bagher Asadi (Iran)
For distinguished accomplishments in securing developing Nations’ support for UNEP, the Kyoto Protocol and establishment of the United Nations Forest Forum

Ludwig Krämer (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
2000 Veit Koester (Denmark)
For extraordinary contributions to negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environmental agreements

Akio Morishima (Japan)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa)
For inspired leadership of the United Nations Initiative for Small Island Developing States
1999 Johan Gerrit Lammers (Netherlands)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Bo John Kjellen (Sweden)
For distinguished service leading negotiations of the Convention on Desertification<

Tan Sri Razali Ismail (Malaysia)
For his initiatives in the Special Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development with positive participation by Civil Society
1998 Parvez Hassan (Pakistan)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1997 Günther Handl (Austria)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1996 Tommy Thong-Bee Koh (Singapore)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1995 Patrick Széll (United Kingdom)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1994 Edith Brown-Weiss (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1993 Winfried Lang (Austria)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1992 Nicholas A. Robinson (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1991 Hubert Bocken (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1990 Andronico Oduogo Adede (Kenya)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1989 Zdenek Madar (Czechoslovakia)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1988 Cyrille de Klemm (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1987 Reinhard Ganten (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1986 Michael Bothe (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1985 Paulo Affonso Leme Machado (Brazil)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1984 Charles Okidi (Kenya)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1983 Heribert Rausch (Switzerland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1982 Louis-Paul Suetens (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1981 Mateo J. Magarinos de Mello (Uruguay)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1980 Russell Train (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1979 Alexandre-Charles Kiss (Hungary)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Oleg Stepanovitch Kolbasov (USSR)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1978 Guillermo Cano (Argentina)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Eckhard Rehbinder (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1977 Joseph L. Sax (USA)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Henri Smets (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1976 Jacques Hoeffler (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Michel Prieur (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1975 Wolfgang Burhenne (Germany)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Waclaw Brzezinski (Poland)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Michel Despax (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law
1974 Michel Carpentier (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Jean-Paul Harroy (Belgium)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

Jean Lamarque (France)
For outstanding and sustained contributions to Environmental Law

 

2020 Elisabeth Haub Award in Memoriam to Environmental Defenders

2020 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law & Diplomacy

The 2020 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law & Diplomacy was conferred in memoriam to Environmental Defenders who lost their lives defending their land and the environment from destructive industries. The number of attacks against environmental defenders continues to rise, with 212 killings documented by Global Witness in 2019. The ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion featuring leading environmental advocates and activists from around the globe. Watch a video of the event below.

 

 

Panelists:

Robert ChanRobert Chan, Executive Director, Palawan NGO Network, Inc. (PNNI), Philippines

Atty. Robert ‘Bobby’ Chan is a product of the Ateneo de Manila University. He finished his law degree, Juris Doctor, in 1994 in the Ateneo School of Law and immediately pursued an internship program with the Ateneo Human Rights Center, for which he was assigned to environmental law practice in Palawan. He initially worked as a Legal Staff of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center and eventually was asked to head the Palawan NGO Network Incorporated as its Executive Director in 2010 up to the present. He is sometimes called the chainsaw man of Palawan owing to his more than 700 confiscated illegal logging chainsaws impounded in his office, along with several dynamite fishing boats and mining equipment. But Bobby wants to be known as an advocate of Deeds, and not Words, which most environmentalists have a tendency to interchange.
For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/palawanngonetworkinc

Carlos Alfonso NegretCarlos Alfonso Negret, Former Ombudsman, Republic of Colombia

Carlos Alfonso Negret was the Ombudsman of Colombia during the constitutional period of September 1st of 2016 to August 31st of 2020. He carried out his work with the commitment to ensure the less favored, make visible the invisible, privilege governance in the territories and promote the consolidation of a human rights culture to live in peace.

During his mandate as Ombudsman, he was elected as Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), which reunites more than 113 National Human Rights Institutions at the global level.

Prior to his election as Ombudsman, he served in various positions in the public and private sectors, such as INCORA (Colombian Institute for Land Reform), an entity where the first stages to learn about the problems that afflict the rural sector in the nation and the complex difficulties to face it were identified. Likewise, he represented his country in the United States of America, as Consul, getting to know first-hand, the problematics lived by fellow citizens abroad, especially in prison matters.
For more information, see https://www.lacolombiaolvidada.com

Krystal Two BullsKrystal Two Bulls, Northern Cheyenne/Oglala Lakota; Director, LANDBACK Campaign; NDN Collective

Krystal Two Bulls has extensive experience as an organizer and on the frontlines with campaign development and management on local, national and transnational campaigns for social, racial and environmental justice. Krystal’s identity as a Native American veteran is central to her organizing and storytelling. At the heart of Krystal’s work are the connections between collective wellness, environmental justice, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, and anti-militarism. In healing from her experience as a soldier, Krystal has dedicated herself to embodying what she views as the essential quality of a warrior: a commitment to the well-being of not only her People and their relationship to the land, but that of all Peoples.
For more information, see https://ndncollective.org and https://landback.org 

Julie Anne Miranda- BrobeckJulie Anne Miranda-Brobeck, Head of US Communications & Global Partnerships, Global Witness

Julie Anne Miranda-Brobeck is the Head of US Communications and Global Partnerships at international human rights and environmental watchdog Global Witness, where she leads on US media and strategic communications, cultivating partnerships, and overseeing a host of engaging events to bring visibility and impact to Global Witness campaigns and investigations. Prior to her work with Global Witness, she spent 6 years at the Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin, working across communications, public relations and campaign outreach to shine a light on corruption and root out abuse of power around the world. She has also led multiple art & culture publications as Editor-in-Chief. She is originally from Washington, D.C. and holds a BA in Foreign Affairs and Creative Writing (University of Virginia) and an MA in Global Studies (Joint Degree: University of Freiburg – Germany & Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences – Buenos Aires). 
For more information, see https://www.globalwitness.org/en
For Global Witness’ July 2020 Report, see https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/defending-tomorrow.


Press Release: Haub Law Confers 2019-2020 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy on Environmental Defenders