Geoscientists, with their deep understanding of climate systems, hazards, and all of Earth’s processes, have the expertise to contribute substantially to solutions for many of society’s greatest challenges.

Geoscience in Action: Advancing Sustainable Development is a freely-available resource from UNESCO and AGU that offers a practical roadmap to illustrate how geoscientists can apply their talents and skills to solving the world’s environmental, social, and economic problems.

The report maps geoscience skills to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through detailed case studies. Geoscience in Action presents three Sustainability Dimensions—People, Planet, and Prosperity—highlighting the positive impact geoscience has on individuals, physical systems, and social systems.

Core to the report are examples—projects and initiatives in which geoscientists develop solutions alongside health experts, regional policymakers, educators, community leaders, and other stakeholders. Geoscience in Action also includes a catalog of geoscience competencies and a series of questions and activities for motivating engagement. By sharing how multinational, multidisciplinary initiatives are being shaped with contributions from geoscientists, we hope to inspire and enable the proliferation of similar projects.

Geoscientists are vital in the work to create a sustainable, thriving world. This work is a much-needed resource to show not only why, but how we can participate in these critical solutions.

Downloadable figures:

• People Dimension Clock
• Planet Dimension Clock
• Prosperity Dimension Clock
• Geoscience in Action Heat Map
• Stakeholders in Geoscience

With additional support from:

• American Geosciences Institute
• University of California, Davis
• UNESCO International Geoscience Programme