The ESDN Conference 2011 is entitled "Framing and Focussing: European Resource Policies in the Context of Sustainable Development". The conference has two main objectives:

• to broaden the discussion on resource policies in Europe, advocating a more comprehensive approach from a sustainable development perspective (e.g. addressing the link between resource efficiency and the rebound effect, tackling cross-sectoral pressures and challenges resulting from resource availability and accessibility and exploitation/utilization patterns, inter-relationship between resources, governance challenges), and
• to develop recommendations for the EU and Member States on integrated resource policies in the context of sustainable development, particularly with regard to the Europe 2020 flagship initiative, "A resource-efficient Europe" (COM(2011) 21), and the Road Map that will be developed to implement this flagship initiative.

Among the confirmed speakers are:

• Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Co-chair of UNEP’s International Resource Panel,
• Miranda Schreurs, Chair of the European Environment and SD Advisory Councils (EEAC),
• John Watson, Head of Unit, Secretariat-General, European Commission,
• Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Moreover, representatives of the European Commission (Secretary General, DG Environment), OECD, European Parliament, World Business Council for SD, European Environment Bureau as well as of various national ministries will be at the conference as speakers, panelists and discussants.