● Finding nature outside the city, in Minnesota
This guest blog is from an intern working remotely from her US university in Minnesota, US, Savannah Kjaer. Enjoy. (US spelling ahead.)
Hello, I’d like to briefly introduce myself. I’m Savannah Kjaer, and I am a new intern at the Sustainable House. I am currently attending the University of Minnesota in the U.S. where I am studying ecology and sustainability. I am very excited for the opportunity remote working has given me, to gain experience abroad despite the pandemic. With that, let’s dive in.
In the fight against climate change, an unlikely industry is taking up arms.
Last spring, eleven mobile gaming companies joined with the United Nations Environment Programme for the ‘Green Mobile Game Jam’. An industry usually criticized for its emissions and pollution, the gaming companies came together to brainstorm ways to incorporate environmental messages into their games.
With 3 billion internet users worldwide, there are an estimated 2 billion game users.
Amongst these companies, it is expected that their games will reach 250 million people. With such a large audience, these companies have a major opportunity to promote sustainable ideas. But will incorporating green themes or features into their games make an impact? And how can we know?
While I appreciated the effort these companies are making to introduce a green message to their consumers, I was skeptical of the impact these changes would have. To me, the initiatives seemed to mostly be a marketing scheme, intent upon promoting an image of the company as socially-conscious without making any tangible change. However, upon looking into the larger changes many of the companies were taking, their combined efforts were quite impressive.
Last year, these companies partnered with the UNEP to create the Playing for the Planet Alliance.
To join, an environmental commitment is required by the company. Many of the companies are looking to reduce electronic waste, which totals 50 million tons annually, according to the UN. A few are even committing to carbon neutrality, both for themselves and to off-set the carbon released by consumers using their product.
The Alliance played a major role in putting together the Green Game Jam last (northern) spring, which was meant to simply serve as a “green-nudge” to players. While the companies themselves implement more sustainable measures, they are utilizing their massive platform to send green messaging to their players.
One of the most popular games, Subway Surfers, has 3 billion downloads since its launch, with 100 million users each month. Their green initiative involved a “world tour” stop set in Bali, Indonesia. As an island nation and biodiversity hotspot, Bali is on the frontlines of the climate crisis. For these few weeks, the gaming scape included solar panels and an emphasis on renewable energy. I asked my friend, who has frequently played for the game for the past year, if she had noticed any messaging in the game in the past month. While she had played at the game’s Bali stop, she “didn’t notice any changes in the game”.
I looked myself, and while this update did include a new surfer character, the sustainable message was very subdued.
● Beautiful greenery, but green messaging?
● The “ecologically-themed” character the company promised
They also claimed to track the effectiveness of these initiatives on players’ attitudes with quantitative and qualitative analysis. However, upon reaching out to them, I was unable to find any such data.
The game ZooCraft has taken a clear environmental stance for a few years now. Many of their in-game campaigns have featured green topics, such as pollution or habitat conservation.
For the project, they really went above and beyond, hosting a fundraiser for The Wolf Conservation Center. Over 1500 people took part in the campaign, raising $14,410 for the Center. This proved something as simple as a mobile game could have a significant impact on the conservation efforts of nonprofits.
I downloaded the game for myself to have a look at the green messaging. One of the first things the game updated was their introductory sequence, which now provides a clear goal of protecting biodiversity and aiding conservation.
● One of the first panels players see upon opening the game
● Couldn’t be more clear!
I admired ZooCraft’s commitment to the ideals of the game jam, including taking a strong stance on conservation issues, and the tangible impact their fundraiser had.
Overall, I appreciate the principle of the Green Game Jam, but some companies executed their commitment to sustainability better than others.
I’m keen to see data on the impacts and will update this blog when I find some.
Looking forward, I am very curious to see which companies continue to promote green ideas, and how this could have a long-term impact on users worldwide. However well the companies portrayed their message, I do applaud all involved for taking steps, no matter how large or small, towards the right direction.
Savannah Kjaer