Sustainable Seniors: Building Democratic Participation and Environmental Leadership in Older Citizens

forthcoming

Sustainable Seniors promotes participatory democracy, cross-sector collaboration, and lifelong civic learning. Older adults (60+) work alongside youth, professionals, and stakeholders to identify environmental challenges, co-create policy proposals, and influence local and regional sustainability strategies. The project also strengthens the capacity of professionals and local authorities to engage older adults in decision-making, ensuring systemic impact. A key innovation is the Sustainable Seniors Toolkit—an open-access resource featuring practical guides, advocacy templates, and training modules to support long-term civic engagement. Operating in eight European countries—Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania—the project fosters cross-border cooperation and knowledge exchange. It directly supports EU priorities under the European Green Deal and the European Democracy Action Plan by addressing civic underrepresentation, promoting gender equality and non-discrimination, and enhancing citizen participation in environmental governance. By embedding older adult-led initiatives into local policies and building lasting citizen networks, Sustainable Seniors empowers older adults to shift from passive recipients to active co-creators of Europe’s sustainable and democratic future.