We convened our 30th General Assembly in Marseille last week, co-hosted by the French Region Sud and featuring the closing conference of the LIFE IP SMART WASTE project. The General Assembly’s theme, “No sustainable future without a just, sufficient, and circular society,” underlined the importance of integrating social equity into circular economy strategies. The highlight was a keynote speech by Janez Potočnikv, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel, and a panel discussion featuring key representatives from the European Commission, OVAM, the European Environmental Bureau, and Behaven. A significant consensus emerged on the need for a material footprint target. The assembly underscored local and regional authorities' dedication to driving change, despite uncertain environmental perspectives, and emphasized the need for adequate resources and tools from national and European institutions.