On July 8, a team from the University of Granada presented two contributions from the CO-SUSTAIN project at the 30th European Society for Rural Sociology Congress in Riga, Latvia.

The first presentation, “Co-Creating Sustainable Rural Futures: A Serious Game for Participatory Decision-Making in Energy Transitions”,  introduced a tabletop role-playing game designed as a participatory tool. This innovative “serious game” fosters dialogue, simulates real-life challenges such as energy transitions, land-use conflicts, and political negotiations, and empowers local actors to shape sustainable rural futures.

The second contribution, “Autonomous Collective Actions Toward a Sustainable Transition in Rural Areas Led by Neo-Rural Inhabitants: The Case of the Energy Community in Monachil, Spain”, examined how neo-rural residents are driving collective action. The study highlights new forms of activism and social participation that can support more inclusive and livable rural transitions. Find below a picture the consortium partners took with the members of the Energy Community in Monachil, during the last in-person general assembly.

Stay tuned to see where CO-SUSTAIN’s research takes us next!