This conference, jointly organised by the EPC and the European Environmental Agency (EEA), was held on the occasion of the launch of the EEA’s fifth state of the environment report. The report shows that well designed and implemented environmental policies have brought progress in the EU. But it insists that this isn’t enough, that the challenges the region, and the world, face today, are systemic and can only be tackled by a fundamental transition to a sustainable society. The conference brought together experts to discuss emerging trends and environmental challenges, what they mean for EU policy-making and how it can support the transition to a more sustainable economy.