BOLSTER - Bridging Organizations and marginalized communities for Local Sustainablity Transitions in Europe

The European Green Deal (EGD) aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and designing deeply transformative transition strategies under the principle of leaving no one behind. However, the needs of marginalized communities in relation to decarbonization are not yet fully understood. 

The EU-funded BOLSTER project aims to understand how marginalized communities are affected by EGD-related policies and whether involving them in decision-making processes increases support for transition plans. TiU researchers lead the project, delivering new scientific evidence on decarbonization transition strategies and how they intersect with various dimensions of inequality, such as gender, race, age, and class. It conceptualizes the principle of leaving no one behind by developing participatory governance models and transition guidelines based on climate justice and gender equality. 

The BOLSTER team consists of 11 partners from across Europe who implement action research in selected regions in Poland, Croatia, Romania, Germany, Spain, and Belgium.  TiU researchers Michiel Stapper, Anastasiya Ansteeg, Anaëlle Bueno Patin, Julius Veenstra, Martijn Groenleer and Asel Doranova are conducting research and project coordination activities under BOLSTER.