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News! On December 2, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law announced that the 2019 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy will be awarded in memoriam to Environmental Defenders who have lost their lives defending their land and the environment from the destructive practices of mining, logging and agribusiness industries, among others. This is the first time the Award has been given to a group, rather than an individual. The award will be given in memoriam at a ceremony in New York City in the spring of 2020.
In 2018, Global Witness documented 164 killings of land and environmental defenders. Countless more were silenced through violent attacks, arrests, death threats or retaliatory law suits against public participation. Increasingly, laws and policies are being adopted that are likely to make it harder for citizens to take a stand against destructive projects by increasing the associated risks.
According to Global Witness, there has been an escalation of killings of defenders struggling for the protection of water, land and other natural resources, with an average of three killings a week in 2018. Many of those killed in the past year were from the Global South. Thirty environmental defenders were killed in the Philippines alone, and more than half of all murders took place in Latin America. The world over, indigenous peoples bear the brunt of these killings and other attacks.
In response to escalating violence, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has adopted a Promoting Greater Protection for Environmental Defenders Policy. The Policy states that UNEP will denounce attacks against environmental defenders, advocate for better protection of environmental rights and the people standing up for these rights, and push for greater state and corporate accountability where environmental defenders have been murdered.
The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy is granted annually by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and recognizes exceptional accomplishments in the field of environmental law and diplomacy. It is the most prestigious award of its kind. A jury comprised of eminent leaders in the field of environmental law and diplomacy is responsible for selecting the recipient of the Award.
Carbon Diet New Year's Resolution! On December 31, 2019, Professor Karl Coplan's book, "Live Sustainably Now" was mentioned in former Haub Visting Scholar Paul Greenberg's article in the NY Times, "A New Year’s Climate Diet: How many tons of emissions can we trim in the new year?"
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law has launched an Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition. This competition will orient students toward the development of practicable environmental policy; encourage law students to collaborate with policy stakeholders, including from government and the community; catalyze the conceptualization and implementation of innovative solutions to pressing environmental problems; and further our commitment to advancing environmental protection. The inaugural problem is available here. Teams must register by September 1, 2020 and the final round presentations will take place on November 13, 2020. 
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Student Spotlight * 
nt and many side-events on law and green finance. Of particular note, she attended a panel discussion hosted by the Spanish government on green finance and the European Commission’s Green New Deal that included members of finance ministries, the vice-president of the European Commission, and a keynote by Michael Bloomberg. Steed also helped youth leaders from the Pacific Islands organize a side-event at the Moana Pacific Pavilion on seeking climate justice through the International Court of Justice.
ured on NBC New York's report on "
structure for Our Sustainable Future. This year’s luncheon keynote presenter was 
