The CET requires not only technology and investment but also collaborative governance that unites institutions, enterprises, associations, public administrations, and citizens. European municipalities and regions must balance ambitious climate neutrality goals with their diverse socio-demographic and territorial contexts.One promising pathway is inter-municipal cooperation, which fosters dialogue among municipalities with similar socio-economic and energy profiles, enabling knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and more equitable transition processes.A second dimension is the role of Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs). Beyond financing tools, PPPs function as hybrid alliances where municipalities, companies, research institutions, and civil society co-design strategies and pilot innovative projects. Evidence from workshops in Parma, Navarra, and Skåne highlights PPPs as platforms for experimentation, innovation, and legitimacy-building.Finally, Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) demonstrate how governance materializes locally. As dynamic socio-technical processes, PEDs embody the Quintuple Helix approach, aligning European targets with local realities while fostering collective ownership of the transition.
Balest et al. (Tue,) studied this question.