Liberian lawyer Alfred Brownell wins global environmental award
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Liberian environmental lawyer Alfred Brownell and American lawyer Durwood Zaelke will jointly receive the 2026 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy, an honor recognizing contributions to environmental law.
Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law announced the award, citing Brownell and Zaelke’s leadership in using law to address global challenges. Brownell has spent his career protecting communities and natural resources in Africa and worldwide, founding organizations like Green Advocates International and Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef).
Brownell previously earned the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2019 for his work fighting palm oil companies threatening Liberia’s rainforests and the land rights of local communities. He currently leads two Pan-African legal campaigns. One seeks an opinion from the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights regarding African states’ obligations to address the climate crisis, and the other aims to create a regional treaty for environmental rights in Africa.
Through CliDef, Brownell also works to provide legal support to climate activists facing threats and legal challenges. Zaelke was recognized for his work strengthening the Montreal Protocol and securing the Kigali Amendment, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases. The award ceremony will take place in New York City on October 21, 2026.
