CHANGING THE NARRATIVE BY CONNECTING EARTH SCIENCE RESEARCH TO THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

A geoscientist’s understanding of the earth and its complex processes can ensure that we are smarter, wiser, and more informed stewards of the earth. Yet, geoscientists are underrepresented in sustainability science and often only associated with oil and gas and mining. According to the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), geoscience degrees awarded between 2019 and 2020 have declined and fluctuations in enrollment can be linked to the boom-and-bust cycles of these industries. In addition, funding data in the earth and planetary sciences has also decreased. Connecting the geosciences and sustainability sciences and consistent communicating this connection is critical for sustaining the next generation of geoscientists and for solving the challenges threatening our future. The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by members of the United Nations are call for action over the next 10 years to eradicate global poverty, end unsustainable consumption patterns, facilitate sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental protection. This paper presents the results of a data mapping project undertaken by GeoScienceWorld in 2022 to demonstrate how earth science research contributes to the SDGs can change the narrative.

Leveraging SDG indexing data from SciVal, GSW analyzed 22K articles published in 46 journals (2016-21); 23% of the 22K mapped to 16 of the 17 SDGs. Majority mapped to 7 SDGs: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Life Below Water, Climate Action, Clean Water and Sanitation, Life on Land, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Responsible Consumption and Production. For comparison, analysis of 168K publications from the top ten earth and planetary science publications indicates that 65% of the research mapped to SDGs and 9 out of 10 mapped to 15 SDGs. Like the GSW corpus, the Scopus Sources mapped to all SDGs, but was more evenly distributed.

The GSW SDG Mapping Project is significant because demonstrates how earth and planetary science research contributes to the UN SDGs. The project highlights the value of categorizing earth science research in terms of sustainability and how the data can help shape the narrative. This will enable us to attract and retain students, receive more funding, and more effectively address the challenges of the 21^st century.