This European Conference "Innovations in the Environmental Sector" (INES) is focusing new ways and approaches for the lifelong learning by competence models, E-Learning and social communities. The 4th conference INES 2011 continues the discussion developed at the first three related European conferences in Vilnius (Lithuania), Budapest (Hungary) and most recently in Bucharest (Romania) last September 2010. The WACOM consortium has organized and utilised these previous opportunities, along with national workshops in each of the WACOM partner countries, to raise the awareness of the stakeholders in the water sector, human resource development, and vocational education and training concerning the benefits and implementations of competence modelling in the water sector.All experts from the environmental sector, human resources development, and competence modelling are invited to contribute their own related professional or academic efforts and to present them in a scientific paper and presentation. The conference will take place in Brussels, Belgium on the 21st of September, 2011 and is organized by the European consortium for water competences WACOM. "By sharing the results of the WACOM project with European professionals and academics and asking them to draw upon their own experience, we hope to greatly benefit the discourse concerning innovations for the environmental sector by competence models, E-Learning and social communities", says Christian M. Stracke, the Coordinator of the WACOM project from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, ISO Convener and editor of many competence standards and specifications. Additionally, the key note speeches and participation of representatives from the European Commission, competence modelling experts, and European standardisation bodies ensure a competent and influential audience and thus fruitful exchange of ideas.Attendance at the European conference "Innovations in the Environmental Sector" (INES) is free of charge and requires online registration as places are limited. Submissions of papers related to the conference (max. eight pages) must be sent to the WACOM Consortium by Monday, 6th of June. The submitters are informed about the acceptance of the papers by 20th of June 2011. All accepted will be published in the official proceedings of the European Conference (with ISBN) and distributed to all conference participants and across whole Europe. For more information about paper submissions, visit our website. Direct enquiries and full papers can be sent to the WACOM project manager Xenia Kuhn, University of Duisburg-Essen, via e-Mail to: xenia.kuhn (at) icb.uni-due.de. For registration, please contact Mrs Laura Langel of the German Water Association (DWA) in an email with your name, country of origin and organisational affiliation at: langel (at) dwa.de.