Professor Katriona Edlmann awarded the Clough Medal for 2025/26 by the Edinburgh Geological Society

The School of GeoSciences is pleased to share that Katriona Edlmann, Professor in Sustainable Energy, has received the Clough Medal for 2025/26 from the Edinburgh Geological Society, in recognition of her research on the geology of Scotland and its role in the energy transition.

The Clough Medal, first established in 1935, recognises outstanding contributions to the understanding of the geology of Scotland and/or the north of England. Awarded annually, it honours geologists whose work has advanced knowledge of these regions, whether through research focused on them or through significant contributions made while working within them.

The annual Clough Medal lecture took place on 25 February 2026 and was hosted online and in person at the Grant Institute, School of GeoSciences. Professor Edlmann was awarded her medal before delivering a lecture on her research, which was then followed by a Q&A session. The lecture, titled ‘The Role of Scotland’s Geology in the Energy Transition,’ explored how Scotland’s geological resources have shaped past energy systems and how they will play a critical role in enabling the transition to low-carbon energy.

The talk traced the evolution of Scotland’s subsurface energy resources — from Carboniferous coal deposits that powered early industrialisation, through the development of the Scottish shale oil industry, to the North Sea oil and gas province. It then focused on how many of these same geological systems now underpin emerging low-carbon energy solutions.

A central message of the lecture was that Scotland’s geology has repeatedly enabled major shifts in the energy system, and that the subsurface will continue to play a crucial role in delivering energy security and achieving net-zero emissions.

I am truly honoured to receive the Clough Medal from the Edinburgh Geological Society. Geology has played an important role in shaping Scotland’s past, and my research explores how our understanding of the subsurface — in Scotland and around the world — can help society reduce emissions, tackle climate change and build a more sustainable energy future.

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