Digging Deep: Geoscience BC Evolution, Net-Zero Emissions and Partner Alignment

Byline: President and CEO Gavin C. Dirom

1. RESEARCH THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO A NET-ZERO EMISSIONS ECONOMY, AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

Geoscience BC’s critical minerals and metals, clean energy and geological carbon capture and storage (CCS) research is attracting investment and helping to de-risk important industry, community, Indigenous group and government decisions. Learn how you can get involved, and about upcoming projects. 

2. PUBLIC GEOSCIENCE AND A NET-ZERO EMISSIONS ECONOMY

Public geoscience data is being recognized as the first link of a secure supply chain needed to build Canada’s net-zero emissions economy. Geoscience BC’s critical minerals and metals, clean energy and geological carbon capture and storage (CCS) research is attracting investment and helping to de-risk important industry, community, Indigenous group and government decisions. 

Geoscience BC’s evolving collaborative structure means that we are well-placed to deliver high-priority research with contributions from provincial and federal governments, industry, economic development trusts and other partners. 

3. PROJECT CONCEPTS: THE NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC GEOSCIENCE

In 2022, Geoscience BC introduced our first project concepts: development stage research projects with opportunities to provide your input and both cash and in-kind contributions. These opportunities continue to develop, and we are seeing particular interest in critical minerals research, such as the Critical Minerals and Metals in BC Mine Tailings and Waste Rock Facilities Project Concept, and in CCS project concepts. Thank you to the organizations that have already expressed an interest or have committed funding to these project concepts. 

4. ENHANCING COLLABORATION

We recently added an Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Advisory Council to our volunteer-based governance model, augmenting our independent volunteer Board of Directors and Technical Advisory Committees. 

This is in addition to the new Corporate, Individual, Student and Associate membership options, which were launched in 2022. Thank you to the 154 new members that had joined by March 31, 2023. We look forward to welcoming more in the coming year. These new membership options are a valuable mechanism for industry, governments, academia, communities and Indigenous groups to contribute to future critical minerals and metals, cleaner energy and geological CCS research. 

BECOME A MEMBER NOW

5. EVOLVING OUR FUNDING MODEL

Geoscience BC’s model for funding research continues to evolve. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. We continue to work with federal partners to identify opportunities, such as Natural Resource Canada’s Energy Innovation Program, to partner on our project concepts. 

This approach is aligning well with industry and other partners. We appreciate the interest and commitments to funding our project concepts to date and look forward to announcing more partnerships soon. 

Our agreements with agencies such as the BC Energy Regulator, BC Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Canada ensure that our research projects support, augment and add value to their work. 

6. WHAT NEXT?

Geoscience BC acknowledges the support received to date from governments, industry, communities, Indigenous groups and academia as we develop a new and sustainable funding model that drives a net-zero emissions economy. If you have not already joined Geoscience BC or considered partnering with us on a Project Concept, please take a look. If you see an unmet need for critical minerals and metals, cleaner energy or CCS research, get in touch today: info@geosciencebc.com