BGR at a glance

As the central geoscientific research and advisory institution of the German federal government and as the national geological service of Germany, BGR has statutory and legally derived tasks as well as numerous international functions. With around 800 employees, BGR supports decision-making processes in politics, business and society on the basis of extensive geoscientific data and innovative research using highly specialised technological methods.

BGR's wide range of tasks includes researching and evaluating the potential of important mineral resources needed for the energy and mobility transition. BGR investigates groundwater resources worldwide and supports strategies for the sustainable use of soil for food security. It advises the federal government on geoscientific and geotechnical issues relating to the final disposal of radioactive waste. In addition, BGR examines options for using the geological subsurface and identifies potential for storing energy from renewable sources and for geothermal energy use.

On behalf of Germany, BGR monitors compliance with the International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is the Federal Earthquake Service and analyses geo-hazards worldwide. As part of the international geoscience network, BGR advises institutions such as the UN, the EU and the World Bank. It supports the further development of the Antarctic Treaty System and carries out German development cooperation projects worldwide.

BGR mission statement

"Planet Earth represents the basis for all our lives – its resources are limited."

This is why BGR is committed to protecting the human habitat and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.

Topics and objectives of BGR

With its four specialist departments

1. Natural Resources
2. Groundwater and Soil Science
3. Underground Space for Storage and Economic Use
4. Geoscientific Information, International Cooperation

BGR performs its tasks within a broad spectrum of topics.

The activities of our employees cover the fields of raw materials, groundwater, soil, final disposal of radioactive waste, use of the deeper subsurface, nuclear test ban and geo-hazards, as well as international geoscientific cooperation. The work of BGR serves the economically and ecologically responsible use and protection of natural resources and thus the protection of our shared living space in accordance with the BGR mission statement.

Tasks of BGR

BGR is the central research and advisory institution of the German Federal Government in the field of geosciences and raw materials. It performs sovereign and public services.

BGR's wide range of tasks includes the following:

• providing advice on raw materials and geosciences to the Federal Government and German industry, in particular on securing the long-term supply of raw materials and energy for the Federal Republic of Germany, the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste and sustainable georesource management;
• promoting science and industry through geoscientific research and development, knowledge and technology transfer, involvement in university teaching, consulting and information;
• national and international geoscientific and technical cooperation in the fields of geosciences, raw materials, soil and groundwater, as well as geo-hazards and the final disposal of radioactive waste;
• the collection, standardisation, harmonisation and provision of geoscientific and raw materials data at federal level and the necessary coordination work with the State Geological Services of the Federal States;
• the earthquake service of the Federal Government.

BGR fulfils Germany's obligations with regard to the international Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on behalf of the federal government and monitors compliance with the CTBT. To this end, BGR operates the National Data Centre (NDC) and seismological and infrasound stations as part of the International Monitoring System (IMS).

On behalf of the BMWE, BGR, together with the German Monitoring Body for EU Due Diligence in Raw Material Supply Chains (DEKSOR), performs the tasks of the national authority in accordance with the EU Regulation on due diligence in the supply chain for importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten, their ores and gold from conflict-affected and high-risk areas (2017/821).

BGR enforces the Geological Data Act (Geologiedatengesetz, GeolDG) in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and on the continental shelf of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Together with the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA), BGR has been advising the German economy on issues relating to the availability and sustainable use of raw materials and on current market developments since October 2010.

BGR conducts research and development in order to provide neutral and independent advice and information about all geoscientific and natural resource issues. This includes methodological and instrumental geoscientific development work and its implementation in practice. BGR participates in national and international research projects. In Antarctica, this is a contribution to maintaining Germany's consultative status. In the field of international marine research, BGR conducts needs-oriented departmental research.

As the Federal Government's geoscientific authority, BGR is also the implementing organisation for technical cooperation projects on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The provisions of the Geodata Access Act (Geodatenzugangsgesetz, BGeoZG), which implements EU Directive 2007/2/EC (INSPIRE) in Germany, apply to BGR's geoscientific data, metadata and services. On the basis of the Electronic Administration Act (Gesetz zur Förderung der elektronischen Verwaltung, EGovG), BGR makes available unprocessed data that has been collected for the fulfilment of BGR's public-law tasks.

Further tasks and requirements arise from the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in conjunction with the German Sustainability Strategy and from the European Community's Raw Materials Initiative in conjunction with the Raw Materials Strategy and the German Resource Efficiency Programme (ProgRess II) of the Federal Government.