Liberian environmental lawyer and activist Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell Sr. has once again captured global recognition, this time as co-recipient of the 2026 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy — the world’s most prestigious honor in the field. Brownell will share the award with American environmental lawyer Durwood Zaelke, in a ceremony set for October 21 at Pace University in New York City.
The Haub Award, established to celebrate groundbreaking achievements in environmental law and international cooperation, recognizes the two honorees for decades of transformative leadership in advancing environmental justice, climate action, and global governance.
Brownell, widely regarded as one of Africa’s foremost environmental defenders, has pioneered legal strategies to protect vulnerable communities, safeguard natural resources, and defend climate activists across the continent. His work has consistently placed Liberia — and Africa more broadly — at the center of global conversations on environmental rights.
As founding president of the Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef), Brownell has built legal infrastructure to shield climate defenders from persecution. He previously established Green Advocates International, Liberia’s first public interest environmental law and human rights organization, which became a model for grassroots advocacy across West Africa.
Brownell’s academic career has been equally distinguished, with visiting appointments at Yale Law School, Northeastern University, and Georgetown University, where he held the Robert F. Drinian Chair in Human Rights.
Today, he leads campaigns through the African Climate Platform (ACP) and the Environmental Rights Africa Coalition (ERA), pushing for a binding regional treaty on environmental rights and petitioning the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for an advisory opinion on states’ obligations in the climate crisis.
His global stature was cemented in 2019 when he received the Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa for his courageous fight to protect Liberia’s tropical rainforests from destructive palm oil expansion.
Durwood Zaelke, founder and president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), has been instrumental in strengthening the Montreal Protocol, the landmark treaty credited with saving the ozone layer. His leadership helped secure the Kigali Amendment, which phases down HFC refrigerants — potent greenhouse gases — with the potential to avert up to 0.5°C of warming by the end of the century.
Zaelke’s career spans decades of litigation, advocacy, and scholarship. He co-founded the Center for International Environmental Law, served nearly a decade with the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now Earthjustice), and continues to teach at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His co-authored textbook, International Environmental Law & Policy, remains a cornerstone in the field.
“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. “Their work has strengthened legal systems, protected communities, and advanced innovative responses to increasingly complex global challenges.”
Environmental advocate Liliane Haub, a Pace University Trustee and member of the award jury, echoed the sentiment: “Their work demonstrates the power of law, advocacy, and international cooperation to protect people and the natural world. My family and I are proud to honor their extraordinary contributions.”
The Elisabeth Haub Award has been presented annually since 1979, honoring lawyers, diplomats, and advocates who shape the global environmental order. In its modern form, established in 2016 by the Haub family and Pace University, the award commemorates Elisabeth Haub (1899–1977), a philanthropist and champion of conservation law.
Past recipients include United Nations Special Rapporteurs John H. Knox and David R. Boyd, recognized in 2025 for advancing the human right to a healthy environment.
This year’s ceremony will be held at Pace University in New York City and broadcast virtually, ensuring global audiences can witness the recognition of two towering figures in environmental law.
For Liberia, Brownell’s honor is more than personal recognition — it is a national milestone. His career embodies the resilience of a country that has endured civil war, resource exploitation, and political upheaval, yet continues to produce voices that shape international law.
Brownell’s victory underscores the growing influence of African lawyers in global governance and affirms that the fight for climate justice is inseparable from the struggle for human rights.
As the world confronts intensifying climate crises, the 2026 Haub Award sends a clear message: the courage of individuals, the strength of communities, and the power of law remain humanity’s most potent tools in defending the planet.
