Andrew Leach

Andrew Leach is a Professor at the University of Alberta, holding joint appointments in the Faculty of Arts (Economics Department) and the Faculty of Law. He also serves as Co-Director of the Institute of Public Economics within the Faculty of Arts. His expertise spans energy and environmental economics, constitutional law, and policy analysis.

Leach earned a BSc in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph, an MA in Economics from Queen’s University, a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University, and an LLM in Constitutional Law from the University of Alberta. Prior roles include teaching at Queen’s University, assistant professorships at HEC Montréal, and visiting scholar positions at Environment Canada. He previously led the Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment (CABREE) at the Alberta School of Business.

His research focuses on energy policy, climate change mitigation, constitutional aspects of environmental regulation, and Alberta’s economy. Recent work addresses hydrogen production, carbon pricing, wind energy fleet optimization, and federal-provincial jurisdictional challenges in climate policy.

Leach advises governments and has served as Chair of Alberta’s Climate Leadership Panel. He contributes to policy debates through over 200 media articles and frequent expert testimony before parliamentary committees. His consulting includes engagements with environmental organizations, law firms, and think tanks.

He holds the CFREF Future Energy Systems grant and has received funding from CABREE, SSHRC, and industry partnerships. Beyond academia, he chairs REACH Edmonton and volunteers with cycling organizations.