GENESIS has been actively promoted at the 30thUnited Nations Conference of the Parties (COP30) on Climate Change, held from 10-21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. Represented by Global Ambassador Maureen Gallagher and President David Govoni, the European Federation of Geologists (EFG), one of the GENESIS project partners, demonstrated how geoscience underpins climate resilience, sustainable resource management, and effective Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
Geoscience at the Core of Nature-Based Solutions
Throughout COP30, EFG highlighted GENESIS as a flagship initiative demonstrating how geological, hydrogeological, and geotechnical assessments are essential for designing, implementing, and monitoring Nature-based Solutions. The project’s work illustrates how subsurface data, such as soil stability, infiltration dynamics, and groundwater-surface water interactions directly influences the performance and long-term success of NbS for river restoration, coastal protection, erosion control, and urban climate adaptation.
By promoting GENESIS across different high-level sessions, EFG emphasised that NbS cannot succeed without understanding Earth’s processes. Geologists and hydrogeologists must therefore be fully integrated into NbS development teams to ensure outcomes that are environmentally effective, socially responsible, and climate resilient.
Take a look at two important GENESIS events held during COP30
- Using Nature to Tackle the Challenge of Climate Change: Businesses and Urban Regeneration
14 November 2025 – Italy Pavilion
Organised by UN Global Compact Network Italy and RemTech Expo, this session featured David Govoniand Maureen Gallagher, who underscored that Europe’s green and digital transitions depend on strong geological knowledge. EFG presented GENESIS, highlighting how geoscience supports NbS, and circular-economy innovation.
- Global Geoscience: Youth Speak Earth’s Carbon and Water Futures
19 November 2025 – Finland Pavilion: This interactive communication workshop, led by Maureen Gallagher, focused on building science communication skills among young geoscientists. As part of the session, EFG presented GENESIS as a project developing resilient NbS for soils, rivers, coasts, and infrastructure.
Across all COP30 engagements, EFG highlighted that geoscience forms the backbone of the energy transition and climate adaptation. The presentation of the GENESIS project reinforced this message, demonstrating how geological and hydrogeological knowledge is essential for designing effective Nature-based Solutions and strengthening climate resilience across Europe.