Elisabeth Haub School of Law Award Medal with a wooden backdrop
Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy

Award Information

Award History

The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy is the world’s most prestigious award in the field of environmental law. It was first constituted in 1979 by the Universite libre du Bruxelles (Free University of Brussels) and the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) to recognize initiatives creating the field of environmental law. Stockholm University succeeded Brussels in 2008. In 1998, on the 25th anniversary of the UN Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment and 5th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit, Pace University and ICEL established a parallel award to honor extraordinary diplomatic leadership in international environmental policy and law. With the support of ICEL and Stockholm University, in 2016 the Family of Elisabeth Haub and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University consolidated these two awards, in honor of Elisabeth Haub (1899–1977), who was a noted philanthropist and advocate for strong laws for the conservation of nature. Chosen annually by an esteemed jury, the Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy recognizes the innovation, skill, and accomplishments of lawyers, diplomats, international civil servants and other advocates who work to create the world environmental order.

Call for Nominations

The 2024 Call for Nominations is now closed. Nominations will open in Spring 2025.

  • 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 through March 31, 2024. 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.

    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 below 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 Friday, 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.

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.

Contact

Please direct questions about the Award to Rachael Silva, Assistant Dean for External Affairs, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University: rsilva@law.pace.edu