Empowering Europe’s Energy Transition: Vital Role of a Geological Service for Europe in Science-Based Policy Support

The Geological Service for Europe (GSEU - https://www.geologicalservice.eu) is an EU funded project dedicated to providing comprehensive geoscientific data, knowledge, and expertise to support sustainable development and decision-making processes across Europe. As a trusted source, the sustainable organization that we aim to create (the Geological Service for Europe - GSE) will play a pivotal role in addressing various challenges related to the energy transition, environmental management, natural resource exploration, societal and policy makers’ needs. With an extensive network of geoscientists, in development cutting-edge knowledge hub, and collaborative partnerships, the GSE will serve as a reliable source of geological information, facilitating informed decision-making, risk assessment, public participation, and policy development to ensure a resilient and sustainable future for Europe and its communities.

This document highlights the relevance of the Geological Service for Europe (GSEU) project in addressing key challenges and opportunities associated with the energy transition in Europe on the path toward establishing a sustainable Geological Service. Moreover, we explore the GSE’s future contributions to, e.g., the sustainable development of European renewables, regulatory framework improvements, social governance of the subsurface, technical projects with public participation, financing new energy projects, and policy developments to enable the energy transition.