The Dome Plenary Sessions are key integrative elements of the Conference program, reaching throughout the whole Conference week with strong links and interconnections - especially between the three Conference Themes. Our aspiration is for the Dome Plenaries to be a forum where integration and connections occur between scientific communities, multi-institutional actors and practitioners; where perspectives are shared between these different communities, including those who depend on the knowledge and information from climate science, and where we can challenge each other, in a positive and constructive way, to explore and develop answers, actions and solutions.
The morning Dome Plenary Session will set the scene for the day with keynote talks and moderated panel discussions while the Evening Dialogue provide an opportunity to reflect on what has been discussed during the day and continue the dialogue. Each Dome Plenary Session aims to have a clear outcome and message that can be included in the Conference statement and a summary that will be discussed and endorsed at the closing session on the last day (Friday morning).
On the first day of the Conference, the Dome Plenary Session will open the Conference, describe its vision and purpose, and set the tone and spirit. Along with formally welcoming all participants, it is an opportunity to hear important messages from our host nation, Rwanda; from the United Nations; and from the WCRP about the challenges of climate change, the urgent need for transformative actions, and the climate science needed for a sustainable future. This topic will be continued at the first of the Dome Plenary Evening Dialogues with a focus on Africa and the global south in the context of climate change and the SDGs.
The three remaining morning Dome Plenaries during Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and two remaining evening Dome Plenaries on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings will be aligned to the Conference Themes:
- Climate Change and Society (Conference Theme: Human Interactions with Climate)
- Climate Change and the Earth System (Conference Theme: Advances in Climate Research)
- Climate Change Solutions (Conference Thene: Co-produced Climate Services and Solutions)
Friday morning’s Dome Plenary session presents a summary and synthesis of the Conference outcomes which will be distilled into a Conference statement – the Kigali Declaration