I am pleased to be able to present the BGS Annual Review
for the last financial year 2017-2018.
Although not exhaustive, the review highlights activities
within BGS. As a world-leading, global geological survey, we have an extensive
programme of geoscience research, survey and monitoring, data management and
dissemination. This helps us to focus on public-good science and to understand
and predict the geological processes that matter to people’s lives.
Increasingly, our work is being carried out internationally
and is directed towards issues such as helping developing countries realise
sustainable benefits from their natural resources. Most recently we have been
using geoscience to help provide solutions to the major challenges recognised
in the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are critical to
underpinning global economic development. Many of these challenges, including
food and water security, urbanisation, energy poverty, resilience to natural
hazards and climate change, span the interface between the Earth and human
systems.
On an administrative level we have created a BGS Board,
chaired by Sir Keith O’Nions and comprised of highly influential
individuals . BGS has also created a new Science
Advisory Committee chaired by Professor Frances Wall and comprising
a cross section of scientist from government industry and academia. The board
and the committee will allow us to realise our full potential going forwards
and help us deliver the new BGS Science Strategy which will be launched in June
this year.
BGS reported a financial surplus from commercial income in
2017-18 which will invested by NERC UKRI for future year’s activities. Our
staff numbers increased to 640 people at the end of the financial year in 2018
and our consolidated budget was £62.6 million for the period.
In addition to ensuring high-quality geoscience data is
openly available to stakeholders across the UK, as outlined in the review, BGS
made significant investments in Official Development Assistance funding in
three global platforms all linked to the UN sustainability goals. BGS also
started planning for its investment of £38.5 million in UKGEOS, a unique set of
subsurface boreholes and associate geo-science aimed at future energy systems,
which will help provide important information for UK and global decarbonisation
initiatives.
I do hope this Annual Science Review provides you with a
flavour of the Public Science Role of BGS and our research and commercial
activities, all three of which contribute to our success as a world-leading
geoscience institution.
