H.E. Tony de Brum (1945-2017)
Tony de Brum served as Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands three times, including during the international climate negotiations that culminated in COP21 in 2015.
Determined to secure a safe climate future for his beloved islands, and for the world, Minister de Brum began informally convening ministerial colleagues who shared his commitment to an ambitious Paris outcome in the months leading up to the conference. Minister de Brum was thus the original convener of the High Ambition Coalition, and his leadership, passion for climate action, and determination to bridge the gap between the developed and developing world continue to guide the HAC's work today.
You can read more about Minister de Brum's contribution to COP21 at the Profiles of Paris website and in Jeff Goodell's coverage of the negotiations for Rolling Stone. His New York Times obituary is here.