COVID-19 information News and events BGS Shop Hosted sites About BGS Research Data Discovering Geology Home » About BGS » Our work » Geoscience solutions for net zero Counting down to COP26 Share this article In November 2021, the UK hosted the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, bringing together countries and leaders from around the globe to discuss climate change. Geology has a huge role to play in helping to provide solutions that will safeguard our future, support clean growth and build resilience against a rapidly changing climate. BGS Director Dr Karen Hanghøj reflects on COP26 and looks ahead to the vital role that the subsurface will play as we aim to reach net zero. Geoscience and associated research has a crucial role to play in the transition to net zero – helping us to heat our homes, source raw materials for electric cars, and mitigate the impact of climate driven hazards in our lives, from flooding to coastal erosion. Understanding how the subsurface can support geothermal energy, energy storage and carbon capture, to the soils and water supplies we rely on for food and agriculture, requires geological research, data and innovation to industry and inform policy and decision making. The BGS is joining UKRI and NERC colleagues to highlight the UK’s role in climate action and demonstrate where UK geoscientific research and innovation can assist emerging climate action.  What is net zero? What is COP26? Geoscience and climate change How BGS is helping to reach net zero COP26 related news BGS news New climate change art and science exhibition opens at the National Mining Museum Scotland 19/11/2021 The exhibition will take viewers on a journey through a series of geoscience themes, showcasing how climate change affects our urban and natural environment. Show more BGS news Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser visits Glasgow underground observatory 12/11/2021 The Glasgow Geoenergy Observatory provides scientists and researchers with unprecedented access to the subsurface and will fill in the knowledge gaps around geothermal energy. Show more BGS news BGS welcomes Glasgow’s new Hope Sculpture at Cunningar Loop 08/11/2021 The British Geological Survey has today welcomed an exciting new public art sculpture designed by artist and designer Steuart Padwick, who collaborated with leading Scottish writers, poets and a Bafta winning film creator to reflect the scale of the climate emergency. Show more BGS blogs Climate and geology: considering future potential for river scour 05/11/2021 A trial BGS data product takes the temporal component of potential future increased amount and intensity of rainfall on river scour into account. Show more ‹ › Watch our COP26 lecture series: Chasing carbon BGS geoscientists discuss our latest research which is helping to provide geoscience solutions in the transition to net zero. Show more Climate change impacts on the UK Watch a special lecture by BGS geoscientists where they discuss our modelling projections and showcase our adaptation and mitigation research in the UK Show more Couch to net zero Hear from leading BGS scientists in a special talk exploring the role of geology in our everyday lives and how it is helping to meet our needs in a changing climate. Show more View our related data products Hazards GeoClimate: UKCP09 and UKCP18 BGS has developed a suite of products, including maps and data, which show potential change in subsidence due to UKCP climate change scenarios Show more Hazards BGS GeoScour Open The BGS GeoScour Open datasets provide a generalised overview of the natural characteristics and properties of catchment and riverine environments for the assessment of river scour in Great Britain. Show more Hazards BGS GeoScour Premium The BGS GeoScour datasets provide a generalised overview of the natural characteristics and properties of catchment and riverine environments for the assessment of river scour in Great Britain. Show more GeoCoast Coastal vulnerability is an issue in many coastal areas of Great Britain. Understanding the processes and identifying potential geohazards and interdependencies within the coastal zone allows users to mitigate and plan to improve future resilience. Show more Find out more about climate change and how we can reach net zero: Climate change Climate is the pattern of weather of an area averaged over many years. We can only show whether climate change has occurred after decades of careful measurements and analysis. Show more Understanding carbon capture and storage Carbon capture and storage involves capturing carbon dioxide at emission sources, such as power stations, then transporting and storing it underground. Show more Relative topics climate change adaptation COP26 net zero Was this page helpful? Yes No Cookies policy We’ll assume you’re okay with this, but you can opt out if you wish. More information. 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