The IAU is inviting proposals for the first Kavli-IAU Interdisciplinary Symposium, which will be dedicated to Climate and Climate Change on Planets and is scheduled to take place in late 2022 or early 2023. The goal of the symposium is to bring together scientists studying a broad range of planetary processes to better understand the possible future of our climate on Earth. The symposium will also lay the groundwork for a scientifically driven IAU Springboard for Climate Action to recommend actions and activities that the astronomical community, including the IAU, can take at the individual and institutional levels.

The symposium participants will include members of the IAU as well as scientists from other disciplines, such as geophysics and atmospheric sciences. Among the key topics are processes that affect the atmospheres of various bodies in the Universe, from Earth today and throughout its 4.6-billion-year history to other planets in the Solar System, exoplanets and moons beyond the Earth. Comparative studies of Venus, Earth and Mars will illustrate atmospheric evolution.

The IAU seeks to ensure that the Scientific Organising Committee and the list of invited speakers are diverse, international, and multidisciplinary. In addition to the numerous talks, there will be discussion panels and poster sessions to present a wide range of topics and encourage synergies between them.

The event is planned to take a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and virtual attendees. It will follow the rules and guidelines of normal IAU symposia, including planning ancillary events for the public, with the following exceptions: there will be no letters of intent, and full proposals should be submitted to the IAU General Secretary by 15 November 2021. The Executive Committee will make the final selection after consultation with the Division Presidents, with a decision to be made by mid-January 2022.

This symposium is the first in a series of Kavli-IAU Interdisciplinary Symposia for 2022–2024. The Kavli Foundation will provide funding of €35 000 for the event.

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The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 12 000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

Contacts

José Miguel Rodriguez Espinosa
General Secretary
Email: IAU-general.secretary@iap.fr 

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Cell: +1 520 461 0433
Email: lars.christensen@noirlab.edu