<< Background >>The ageing of population is a worldwide phenomenon with critical implications for all sectors of society. Due to low birth rates, high life expectancy and migration flow dynamics, worldwide population is “turning grey”, and Europe is not an exception. An ageing population brings social, health, economic, and other issues. Overall in the EU, the total public spending of ageing is expected to increase by 1.7% to 26.7% of GDP between 2016 and 2070. In all countries, measures to help older people remain active and participative are a necessity, not a luxury. The United Nations and the European Commission agree that quality ageing is a responsibility of all (private, public and civic actors), and can only be created and sustained through the participation of multiple sectors. People are thus encouraged to take the lead to implement programmes addressing quality and active ageing. These impressive projections feed into a variety of policy debates and processes at EU level, including the overarching Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. There is uncertainty surrounding these long-term projections, which are made under a 'no-policy-change' assumption to illustrate what the future could be if current policies remain unchanged. Thus, as populations grow older, the EC encourages the design of innovative policies and public services specifically targeted to older persons. The UN and the EC agree that quality ageing is a responsibility of all (private, public and civic actors), and can only be created and created and sustained through joint efforts of multiple sectors. People are encouraged to take the lead to implement programmes addressing questions as: How do we help people remain independent and active as they age? How can we strengthen health promotion and prevention policies? How can the quality of life in old age be improved?, and attempt to collaborate in assuring that senior citizens remain a valuable resource to their families and communities, as stated in the WHO Brasilia Declaration on Ageing and Health in 1996. In all countries, measures to help older people remain active and participative are a necessity, not a luxury. The time to act is now! This framework, in addition to the environmental global crisis and the EU Green Deal prerogatives, led the partners to plan a project aiming at fomenting active ageing policies that would bring added-value to both the communities and the elderly. Preparation work of the partners and resulting direct contact with the agents working directly with the elderly in several countries (Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Poland) revealed that the third age sector and the elderly would like to contribute to nature conservation, because of all the positive inputs that the contact with nature brings to the senior’s mental and physical health, and because it enhances autonomy. However, when inquired about what prevented those agents (or the elderly) to implement outdoor programmes, they responded the staff lacks competences to address nature-related actions and to organize safe outdoor activities. When further inquired on the preferred enrolment schemes for the elderly in such outdoor programmes, they were unanimous in responding that volunteerism would be the perfect model to adopt.The educational needs were thus identified to a depth that allowed partners to build a robust consortium and a strategy to respond to those needs. SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY thus requires expertise on different areas and insights from countries with active ageing policies at different levels of implementation in order to make it effective and transferable to a large geographical scale, assuring transnational quality impact on a set of different target audiences (from ground to policy-makers).<< Objectives >>SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY aims at:-Promoting active ageing through the involvement of senior citizens in nature conservation volunteering programmes, and through the capacitation of personnel working in the third age sector to develop and implement such programmes;-Valorising the elderly and all their potential as productive citizens;-Support adult (senior) learners by providing high-quality training fostering key competences and skills;-Generating environmental awareness, and promote European citizenship values;-Promoting language, literacy, ICT, intercultural, and interpersonal skills in senior citizens and in the third age personnel;-Promoting social inclusion and active ageing policy.<< Implementation >>SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY will train at least 48 third age personnel from Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Poland, and will directly involve at least 300 senior citizens in environmental activities in Portugal and Iceland. Indirectly, over 1000 senior citizens will somehow be involved in the project’s activities.Participants will join environmental activities in the field, virtual and physical international dialogues and exchanges, and will test and validate all the results. They will also attend public events and will be consulted for policy contributions.SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY is thus a cross-sectoral project that will achieve the abovementioned activities, but mainly long-lasting immaterial results in what concerns the social inclusion of the elderly; their willingness and awareness to enrol in outdoor conservation programmes (or other active ageing programmes) in an informed way; the competences of entities, personnel and adult (senior) educators to develop and implement active ageing programmes; the encouragement of ageing-friendly policies. It is then expected that SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY will cause a significant impact at different levels (local, national and international) on the different target-groups and stakeholders.Thanks to the diversity of the participating organizations and the high-level quality of their respective networks, the project’s results will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, assuring the project’s uptake and continuity. Partners are committed to achieving institutional buy-in to the proposed methodology, and SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY will certainly support social inclusion and valorization of the elderly, the establishment of green active ageing programmes, and the development of high-quality skills and competences in both the elderly and the staff supporting them. Environmental action and improvements in local governance policy will also be important benefits.<< Results >>SENIORS4SUSTAINABILITY will produce a set of tangible results and outcomes that hopefully will facilitate the construction of intangible outcomes, such an improvement in third-age and environmental policies.Results are described in detail in the relevant chapter of the application, but, in short are:- A report/collection of best-practice and inspirational cases to inspire and guide the project development;- An online platform that features the project information, results, news, and an observatory for best-practice in nature conservation programmes inclusive to seniors, and an enrolment directory for such projects and the elderly;- A handbook for seniors, explaining the rights and duties of volunteers, safety rules, etc;- A step-be-step handbook and an executive package for institutions willing to implement senior volunteer/active ageing programmes;- A training course for 3rd age personnel, available in 4 languages;- An audiovisual set of contents, explaining the topics addressed by the project in an inclusive way;- A policy paper explaining the importance of a change in 3rd age and environmental policies. This output will summarize a set of evidence-based recommendations, from a policy-making and local democracy perspective.- A laymen report assembling all lessons learned and crucial findings of the project, allowing for clear and swift dissemination of the tackled benefits.We will also run internal evaluation exercises after each meeting or event, ensuring the project is developing according to each target group and the consortium’s needs and goals.The expected outcomes are the following:- Development and implementation of 1 senior ‘green volunteering’ programme.- Delivery of 1 training course for 3rd age personnel, with resultant improvement of their skills and intercultural perspective.- Organization of 6 multiplier events and consequent impact in local communities.- Raise awareness about ageing and environmental issues.- Promote the benefits of international cooperation for the resolution of such issues.- Promote 3rd age and environmental friendly policies at high decision making level, with impacts on (at least) local governance and democratic systems.- Contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, and relevant EU commitments for sustainable development, such as the 2030 EU Agenda and the EU Green Deal.