The British Geological Survey (BGS), founded in 1835, is the world’s longest-established national geological survey. BGS seeks to advance the understanding of the structure, properties, and processes of the solid Earth system through interdisciplinary surveys, monitoring and research for the benefit of society. It is the UK's premier provider of objective and authoritative geoscientific data, information, and knowledge for sustainable use of natural resources, reducing risk and living with the impacts of environmental change.

 

BGS is a public sector organisation and a component organisation of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which is the UK's leading body for basic, strategic, and applied research and monitoring in the environmental sciences. BGS is responsible for advising the UK government on all aspects of geosciences, and providing impartial geological advice to industry, academia, and the public.

 

BGS is a leading research organisation in the field of geological CO2 storage and coordinates the CO2 storage sub-programme of the European Energy Research Area (EERA) Joint Programme on CCS. BGS has a leading research role in a number of major EU, industry and government funded projects. BGS has carried out more than fifty CO2 storage projects for the EU, industry and the UK and overseas governments in recent years (see Box for examples), with an annual CCS budget of over £1.5M.