Policy Update
The Society’s Policy Team has been active on several fronts, writes Florence Bullough
The policy team has been working with the European Federation of Geologists and its National Associations to produce a European version of the ‘Geology for Society’ report, which the Society first published in March 2014 (Geology for Society). The new version illustrates how geology underpins societal needs, through examples and case studies from European countries. The published report will be available in 12 European languages and will be launched on 4 March at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The Society responded to inquiries looking back at the work of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and the Energy and Climate Change Committee over this Parliament. We commented on some successes, and noted the innovative approach taken in some inquiries. We also suggested how Parliamentary committees might work more effectively together across traditional policy ‘silos’. Our responses to these and other recent inquiries can be found here: www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations.
Following the July 2014 White Paper on geological disposal of radioactive waste, the Society hosted a day-long technical meeting on 30 September 2014 on behalf of Radioactive Waste Management Ltd (RWM) to discuss the National Geological Screening Exercise. More details on the event can be found at www.geolsoc.org.uk/RWM14. As set out in the White Paper, the Society has agreed to establish an independent panel to review the screening guidance to be developed by RWM, and its subsequent application.
In recent months, the policy team has taken part in the annual ‘Science and the Parliament’ event at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the ‘Science and Stormont’ event in Belfast, and a visit to Brussels organised by the Science Council, aimed at building links between the Science Council and its members and European policy-makers. The group met several UK MEPs and Anne Glover, the former Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission.