Hugh Sealy, Barbados’ special ambassador for climate change and a carbon market expert, died unexpectedly at the age of 59, shocking the climate community.
Tributes have flooded in for the diplomat and climate adviser, who has been dubbed “a true climate advocate” and “a passionate and competent defender” of the Caribbean area and small island states.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said she was “shocked” when she learned of the news in an emotional message posted on the government’s website. There was no mention of a cause of death.
Hugh Sealy death: How did Barbadian diplomat die?
Sealy, who was born in Canada in 1962 to Bajan parents, has worked in academia, the commercial sector, and government, providing advice on climate change, energy, and water resources.
He earned a doctorate in environmental science from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom after studying chemical engineering in Canada.
He established himself as a private consultant in the early 2000s, advising governments around the Caribbean on topics ranging from energy and flood control to public health, waste, and water resources.
