International Geodiversity Day: Broadening Values and Justifications for Geosciences in Society

Geodiversity is the literal and metaphorical bedrock for life on Earth, and yet it lacks the standing of biodiversity as a concept that generates research and action beyond its base academic discipline. This paper explores the values articulated and justifications deployed in proposing and supporting the inaugural International Geodiversity Day (IGD). Advocates for IGD sought to raise the public profile of geodiversity and prompt discussion of its applications. The involvement of UNESCO associated geodiversity with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discourse analysis of the values and justifications associated with IGD shows that instrumental values were predominant within the discourse and scientific and environmental justifications were prevalent. Social, cultural, economic and political arguments were deployed to a lesser extent but furthered the idea that research and action related to geodiversity could drive positive change. In particular, the analysis showed that more specific attention to relational values could broaden the appeal of geodiversity beyond the academic community. Together, our analysis shows that geodiversity is increasingly seen by geoscientists and other institutional actors as a concept that should be valued as equivalent to biodiversity. Communication strategies will be influential in the successful transfer of this view to wider audiences.