Western companies with long supply chains – especially those that involve the extraction of resources in developing countries – can never be sustainable unless their supply chains are sustainable. For companies, therefore, working with their supply chains on sustainability is a key task in an increasingly resource-constrained world.

iconVienna is an annual business and investment summit that aims to encourage business connections and explore investment opportunities between east and west Europe. The summit was first held in 2005, and is organised by the Vienna-based European Brand Institute, an independent organisation that specialises in intellectual property issues. IconVienna 2014 was held in April 2014, and focused on innovation for Smart Cities – including urban sustainability through eco-innovation. The president of the event, Gerhard Hrebicek, explains the roll of the forum and gives his views on eco-innovation in smart cities.

An EU-funded project involving partners from Belgium, France and the United Kingdom has secured a one-year extension to build awareness about how to optimally use highly energy-efficient buildings. The first stage of the REGAIN project involved the construction of demonstration eco-efficient buildings in industrial parks. However, the project partners realised that although buildings can be designed to be green, they are not always used in green ways, and this can reduce their benefits. The project extension will therefore take the next step – identifying measures to encourage the green use of buildings.