On November 28, 2011, The European Institute, in cooperation with the Ecologic Institute, hosted Karl Falkenberg, Director General of the DG Environment at the European Commission, who discussed the need for sustainable environmental growth and emphasized the importance of resource efficiency as means towards a circular, sustainable economy. He stressed the importance of creating a common sustainable growth strategy between the U.S. and Europe, as well as the necessity to include the developing countries into the dialogue for the recovery of sustainable resources. Dominic Marcellino, Fellow at the Ecologic Institute moderated the discussion.