Das Projekt "Bridging the gap conference (BTG2008)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia durchgeführt. Objective: The Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia is delighted to host the 4th Bridging the Gap conference: Responding to Environmental Change from Words to Deeds at the occasion of 10th anniversary of Bridging the Gap conferences. Conference will gather participants from policy, research, business and civil society communities. It will look at the past ten years of Bridging the Gap conference progress and will seek to close the gaps in most prioritised and emerging issues in European Union. It will address gaps in policy, research and in capacities of society to respond to emerging issues and uncertainties to be better prepared for the future and to move toward more sustainable development. Well being gaps will be addressed by looking at environment related impacts to human health and at the provision of ecosystem services. Three headline issues will be the common thread through five themes of the conference. The headline issues of the conference: Need for urgent action To put environment in the hearth of economic decision making To improve communication between scientists, policy-makers, politicians, business and civil society.