Andrew Weaver

Andrew Weaver
BC NDP · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Andrew Weaver
Birth date	1958
Birth place	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Fields	Climatology, Atmospheric Science
Workplaces	University of Victoria, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium
Alma mater	University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, Oxford University
Known for	Climate modelling, climate policy advocacy
Awards	A.C. Redfield Lifetime Achievement Award, Officer of the Order of Canada

Andrew Weaver is a Canadian climate scientist, academic and former provincial politician known for contributions to climate modelling and public policy in Canada. He served as a professor at the University of Victoria and represented a Victoria-area electoral district in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly as the leader of a provincial political party. Weaver has engaged with national and international scientific bodies, including advisory roles with Environment and Climate Change Canada and participation in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Early life and education

Weaver was born in Victoria, British Columbia and raised on Vancouver Island, where early exposure to coastal environments influenced his interest in atmospheric and oceanic processes. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria and pursued graduate training at the University of British Columbia before undertaking doctoral research at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. During his graduate years he worked closely with researchers involved in numerical modelling at institutions such as the Hadley Centre and collaborated with scholars affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Academic career and research

Weaver became a faculty member at the University of Victoria where he established a research program focused on coupled atmosphere–ocean climate models, paleoclimate reconstruction and projections of future climate change. His work integrated tools from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis and employed general circulation models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for assessment reports. Weaver contributed to studies on abrupt climate change, sea‑level rise and carbon cycle feedbacks, publishing in journals read by researchers at the Royal Society and universities such as Harvard University and University of Cambridge. He directed collaborative initiatives with the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium and consulted for agencies including Environment and Climate Change Canada and provincial ministries in British Columbia. Weaver supervised graduate students who later joined institutions like the University of Toronto, McGill University and international research centres including CSIRO and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology.

Political career

Weaver entered provincial politics in British Columbia and was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly representing a Victoria riding. Initially elected as leader of a green-oriented provincial party, he later served as a member of the legislature collaborating with ministers from parties such as the British Columbia New Democratic Party in confidence-and-supply arrangements. During his tenure he engaged with parliamentary committees, debated legislation relating to provincial resource management and climate initiatives, and worked alongside figures from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and federal counterparts in Ottawa. Weaver's political activity included interactions with stakeholders from industry associations, environmental non-profits like David Suzuki Foundation and municipal governments including the City of Victoria. After several terms he stepped down from elected office and returned to academic and advisory roles.

Policy positions and activism

Throughout his career Weaver advocated for scientifically informed climate policy, urging adoption of emissions reduction targets aligned with international agreements such as the Paris Agreement. He supported carbon pricing mechanisms similar to policies enacted by the European Union and recommended regulatory measures influencing sectors overseen by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines and the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. Weaver frequently testified before legislative bodies and parliamentary committees, engaging with panels that included representatives from Natural Resources Canada and provincial crown corporations. He participated in public discourse with media outlets, environmental organizations and industry groups, emphasizing adaptation strategies for coastal communities, collaboration with Indigenous governments such as First Nations on Vancouver Island, and investments in renewable technologies promoted by agencies like BC Hydro and research consortia tied to Simon Fraser University.

Awards and honours

Weaver received scientific and civic recognitions for his research and public engagement. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and awarded distinctions from scholarly societies and provincial institutions. His contributions to climate science and policy earned him lifetime and achievement awards from organizations within the environmental science community and acknowledgements from academic partners including the University of Victoria and national entities such as the Royal Society of Canada.

Category:Canadian climatologists Category:People from Victoria, British Columbia