The overarching aim of the conference is to place existing scientific knowledge of environment and society within the context of relevant EU environmental legislation, and vice versa. The common theme is: “How can we ensure that the research agenda and policy solutions are sufficiently holistic to address the complex issues which interlink science, environment and society”. The main topics cover a range of issues which confront both scientists and practitioners within today’s legislative policy framework.

Environmental science is currently addressing complex cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral challenges. Evidence based, holistic solutions are vital for society, but require research scientists, administrators, consultants and other end-users to work closely together within the international policy framework.

Environmental science is addressing complex cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral problems, some of which are among the greatest challenges facing society. The complexity of these challenges and the need to find practical and sustainable solutions requires close interchange of ideas and applications between research scientists, administrators, consultants and other end-users to promote workable, evidence-based regulations and policy. This conference brings researchers from many different fields within environmental science together with practitioners to exchange knowledge, to identify research gaps and to discuss how new scientific knowledge can be implemented most effectively in practical environmental management.

We therefore invite everybody who is interested in interdisciplinary environmental science and science-based management to join us in Denmark 5-6th October 2011 for ‘Science for the environment - environment for society’. Scientific presentations will address the inter-disciplinary scientific basis for regulation across different media, scopes and scales.  Workshops will allow scientists and practitioners to exchange knowledge, identify research gaps and discuss best practice and potential synergies in the interpretation and implementation of environmental policy and legislation.