2026 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy to Honor Alfred Brownell and Durwood Zaelke for Transformative Contributions to Environmental Law
15 September 2026 - The Elisabeth Haub School of Law is proud to announce that the 2026 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy will be jointly awarded to environmental lawyers Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell Sr. and Durwood Zaelke for their groundbreaking contributions to the progressive development of environmental law and their decades of leadership advancing environmental justice, climate action, and environmental governance around the world. The award will be presented during a ceremony at Pace University in New York City on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Both honorees have demonstrated the transformative power of law to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Alfred Brownell has pioneered legal strategies to protect communities, environmental and climate defenders, and natural resources while advancing environmental rights and climate justice across Africa and globally. Durwood Zaelke has played a leading role in strengthening the Montreal Protocol and building on its success protecting the ozone layer to achieve significant climate benefits, including through the landmark Kigali Amendment.
“Alfred Brownell and Durwood Zaelke exemplify the vision and leadership that the Elisabeth Haub Award was created to recognize,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and President of the Haub Award Jury. “Throughout their distinguished careers, they have demonstrated the power of law and international cooperation to turn environmental priorities into meaningful action. Together, their work has strengthened legal systems and institutions, protected communities and the natural world, and advanced innovative responses to increasingly complex global environmental challenges. We are honored to recognize their extraordinary contributions...”
See the full Elisabeth Haub School of Law Press Release here.
