On 4 April 2025, the proximity and social economy (PSE) ecosystem gathered online for the first technical session of the project ‘Transition Pathway Stakeholder Support Platform: Implementation for the Proximity and Social Economy Ecosystem’. Titled ‘Connecting for Change: Navigating the Green Transition’, this event marked the beginning of a thematic series aimed at strengthening collaboration, sharing knowledge, and building momentum around the green and digital transitions.

The session focused on regenerative strategies that go beyond reducing emissions to actively restoring and optimising resource use, thereby fostering a resilient and inclusive green economy. Rooted in local communities and informed by lived realities, regenerative practices are central to ensuring a just transition. The event reflected the PSE Platform’s commitment to catalysing these transformations through concrete action, cross-sectoral dialogue, and stakeholder empowerment.

Alberto Licciardello from the European Commission (DG GROW) opened the session by welcoming participants and reaffirming the platform’s mission. He noted that over 230 pledges have already been collected, available both on the Stakeholders Platform and via the Europa portal. He encouraged participants to draw inspiration from these pioneering examples and reminded them of the upcoming pledge submission cut-off on 25 June.

The event, moderated by EURICSE and Diesis Network, pursued four objectives: to promote the PSE Platform; showcase outstanding practices through the INSPIRE panel; highlight Ambassadors’ contributions to the Transition Pathways; and strengthen links with other ecosystems, fostering cross-cutting synergies.

INSPIRE Panel Session: Regeneration in Action

The INSPIRE session spotlighted four pioneering initiatives demonstrating how regenerative approaches can address environmental challenges while advancing inclusion and local development:

• The Rediscovery Centre (Ireland) 
  Roger Warburton presented Ireland’s National Centre for the Circular Economy, a repurposed boiler house turned educational hub. It exemplifies circular design in infrastructure, supports local social enterprises, and acts as a catalyst for green innovation.
• Data Food Consortium (France) 
  Rachel Arnould explained how the consortium builds open-source, interoperable standards to connect fragmented local food networks. By enabling digital integration, the project contributes to both green and digital transitions while promoting transparency and cooperation.
• Ecooo (Spain) 
  Marina Vargas Ruiz shared how Ecooo empowers communities through democratically governed renewable energy projects. These citizen-led models offer a compelling alternative to investor-driven systems, ensuring deeper local engagement and energy resilience.
• Coompanion Gothenburg (Sweden) 
  Diana Ghinea detailed Gothenburg’s collaborative governance model featuring a Transition Council and Citizens’ Assembly. While promising, the model also reveals ongoing challenges: scattered efforts, unclear roles, and the need for genuine, non-tokenistic participation.

CONNECT Breakout Sessions: Deep Dives into Practice

Three breakout rooms led by platform Ambassadors invited participants to connect regenerative ideas with on-the-ground implementation across food systems, energy, and urban governance.

• Breakout Session 1: Resilient Food Systems 
  Led by Nick Weir (Open Food Network Europe) and Rachel Arnould, this session emphasised stakeholder mapping, the role of municipalities, and practical levers like community hubs and digital infrastructures. Challenges included policy inconsistency and limited rural connectivity.
• Breakout Session 2: Local Energy Communities 
  Giorgio Nanni (Legacoop) and Marina Vargas Ruiz explored the transformative potential of local energy communities. Centred on trust and place-based design, these communities empower citizens while advancing EU decentralisation goals. A recurring challenge remains youth engagement and strategic communication.
• Breakout Session 3: Collaborative Cities and Governance 
  Erdmuthe Klaer-Morselli (REVES) and Diana Ghinea examined how cities can embed the social economy in transition strategies. Examples from France and the Netherlands illustrated promise, but speakers warned of persistent greenwashing and the need for genuine departmental coordination.

Concluding Reflections: A Call to Co-create

The session closed with a strong call to action: to bridge policy and practice through ongoing participation, strategic partnerships, and knowledge sharing. Regenerative green transitions demand more than innovation. They require co-ownership, trust, and inclusive governance across all sectors. The Proximity and Social Economy Platform remains a vital tool for enabling these transformations. Through ongoing events, the platform provides a dynamic space for learning, dialogue, and pledge-making—essential ingredients for building a future where local economies regenerate both people and planet.  

Building on this momentum, the conversation continues with the next technical session on 19 May 2025, titled ‘Connecting for Change: Transformative Digital Transition’. This upcoming event will explore how digital innovation can empower the social economy to drive systemic change and deepen its impact across communities.