Daniel C. Esty, professor of environmental law and policy at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and clinical professor of law at the Yale Law School, is the recipient of the 2002 American Bar Association Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy.
Esty received the honor at a ceremony and reception at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel on August 12, during the ABA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
Established by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Environmental Law in 2000, and co-sponsored this year with the ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources, this award recognizes individuals, organizations or programs that have distinguished themselves in environmental law and policy, contributing significant leadership in improving the substance, process or understanding of environmental protection and sustainable development.
Among his accomplishments, Esty led a team in a pioneering approach to environmental decision making known as environmental performance measurement. This methodology is intended to furnish the data and analysis needed to make substantial improvements in environmental governance, thereby promoting environmental sustainability. The results of this initiative are set out in a series of publications, “Environmental Performance Measurement: The Global Report 2001-2002 (Oxford, 2002), 2002 Environmental Sustainability Index, and Pilot Environmental Performance Index (2002). The 2002 international index evaluated 142 countries on the basis of five categories (such as global stewardship of shared resources and environmental systems) containing 68 variables.
Esty’s career spans the federal government, the non-profit sector, and academia. His work has included policy coordination, issue development and regulatory and legislative oversight in senior positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as far-ranging research and writing on economic development and environmental policy, including as a Senior Fellow with the Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC. Since 1994, he has directed the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. He has served as Associate Dean and Professor of Environmental Law and Policy since 1998 and directs the Yale World Fellows Program. Esty also serves on the environmental board of Unilever and on the board of the American Farmland Trust, and he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; the Trade and Environment Public Advisory Committee to the U.S. Trade Representative; a Forum Fellow of the World Economic Forum; and co-director of the Global Environment and Trade Study, an international research consortium.
A graduate of Harvard College, Oxford University and Yale Law School, Esty is a prolific author of books and articles on environmental law, environmental policy, environment and trade, development, global governance and security. In recent years, he was named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum and one of the 100 most influential non-governmental officials in the world by The Earth Times. In 1997, the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy’s “Next Generation” Environmental Reform Project received a U.S. EPA New England Regional Merit Award.
“Professor Esty reflects the standards of dedication, innovation and professionalism that this award intends to recognize,” said Meghan H. Magruder, standing committee chair. “Further, he has clearly and persistently distinguished himself as a leader in environmental law and policy. His accomplishments deserve wide recognition.”
The ABA Standing Committee on Environmental Law is devoted to examination and analysis of environmental law and policy issues; development of ABA policy positions in the field; and facilitation of ABA environmental law programming and policy making. The mission of the Section of Environment, Energy and Resources is to be the premier forum for strategies and information for environmental, energy and resources lawyers. The Section is committed to providing member and public services to enhance professional skills, development and dialogue on these subject areas.
The American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.
For more information about the award or the August 12 event, please contact Justin Graf at grafj@staff.abanet.org or 202-662-1694.
