1925 Karl Terzaghi published the book „Erdbaumechanik auf bodenphysikalischer Grundlage“ in Vienna which is widely regarded as the birth of modern soil mechanics. The Austrian Geotechnical Society and the Austrian Society for Geomechanics are proud to jointly celebrate the 100^th anniversary of this milestone in geotechnical engineering. 1929 the first Institute and Laboratory for Soil Mechanics was established at the TU Wien. „Where it all began“ is therefore the slogan of the 21^st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE) to be held in Vienna in June 2026. It will be an in-person event because I strongly believe that personal communication and networking is a key component of an international conference. Leading experts in the field have agreed to deliver state-of-the art lectures and for the first time in this series of conferences a plenary session will be organized by the European Federation of Foundation Contractors (EFFC), providing the industry with the opportunity to present their efforts in battling climate change and reducing CO₂-footprint of construction industry. I can assure that the organising committee will do everything to make this conference a memorable event, in both, scientific and social aspects and I invite you to come to the beautiful city of Vienna, in the heart of Europe.

We are in the process of certifying the ICSMGE 2026 according to the Austrian Ecolabel Guideline for Green Meetings and Green events. To reach this goal, we have taken many visible and invisible measures, including:

• Only a few printed media, and these on environmentally certified paper.
• No disposable tableware for catering
• Excellent public transport connections to the venue
• Free Metro Tickets 
• Water stations and refillable water bottles for all participants
• And much more...

We are grateful for your approval and support of this goal and our efforts.

• We wish to make it as easy as possible for you to travel by public transport. If possible, please choose an environmentally friendly mode of transport or carpool.
• If you have to drive or fly, you can offset the related CO2 emissions through compensation payments.
• If possible, please choose an environmentally certified hotel (Austrian Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel, EMAS, etc.). We have labelled certified hotel options for you. 
• Support your hotel’s environmental protection efforts (on-demand exchange of towels and bedsheets, etc.).
• Turn off all lights, electronic equipment (TV, air conditioner, heating, computer, etc.) when you leave your hotel room.
• Reuse to protect the environment: opt for beverages served from bulk containers or on tap, food served on tableware, milk and sugar that are not individually packaged, etc.
• Separate your waste (PET, glass, paper, metal, batteries, etc.) and dispose of it in the respective containers available at the venue.
• Use public transport or walk.
• Opt for online registration or digital materials instead of printouts/handouts whenever possible.
• Use your own writing utensils.
• Return your badges / name tags after the end of the event at the information counter.

If you have any questions, please contact our Green Meeting officer (office@icsmge2026.org, Tel.: +43 662 875519)