Promoting geodiversity: learning lessons from biodiversity

Progress made in promoting geodiversity in recent times is reviewed, concluding that it is now an established component of the Earth Sciences. However, it still lacks the status and standing of biodiversity in governmental, political and public forums. The paper assesses what can be learnt from the experience of the development and promotion of biodiversity. Based on this experience, eight suggestions for increasing the understanding and ownership of geodiversity beyond the Earth science community are provided as a basis for discussion.