UN's Playing for the Planet Report Says Many Gamers Are Environmentally Conscious

Connect with the top leaders in gaming in Los Angeles during GamesBeat Summit 2023 on May 22-23. Register here.

The United Nations said a survey of 390,000 gamers found that 70% are willing to change their environmental behaviors.

Playing for the Planet Alliance's 2022 Annual Impact Report says gamers want studios to do more with in-game activations when it comes to environmental awareness. Players were interviewed in nine of the Green Game Jam matches. Of course, players who play such games likely already have a penchant for green, and in that sense the ratio may not be representative of all players.

Facilitated by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Playing for the Planet Alliance was launched in 2019 and includes major studios such as Sony Playstation, Microsoft Xbox, Supercell, Ubisoft and Unity. Six more studios joined the initiative in 2022, including the Pan African Gaming Group, Humble Bundle, Gameloft, Gamigo, Ohbibi and Sumo Group.

UNEP works to raise environmental awareness through games.

Report says 64% of members have raised their decarbonization ambition to net zero carbon or carbon neutrality , and more than half of alliance members are now adopting science-based carbon-based methods for carbon accounting and reporting.

Event

GamesBeat Summit 2023

Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles on May 22-23. You'll hear from the brightest minds in the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.

register here

The survey of 390,000 gamers found that 70% of respondents said they were willing to change their environmental behaviors. This percentage increased to 81% after playing green activations as part of the Green Game Jam.

The studios are also making progress on a new plastic packaging protocol and tips for hosting more sustainable events. The Green Game Jam saw some 2.5 million trees planted in the first ever Riders Republic in-game climate march.

The ambition for 2023 is to provide new guidance to industry so they can align with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and then create new tools designed for the sector to reduce their carbon emissions with the 2023 edition of the Green Game Jam supporting the theme of restoring the ecosystems of three critical species.

“While there is still a long way to go, 2022 has been a breakthrough year for Playing for the Planet, with more studios signing up to science-based goals and the player survey showing real demand for this content in games," said Sam Barratt, head of youth and advocacy for the United Nations Environment Programme, in a statement.

The alliance was founded to encourage the gaming industry to reduce emissions and to help inspire gamers to build sustainability awareness and engage in climate action.

The report is a UNEP publication that aggregates progress made by alliance members, summarizes new annual commitments, and serves as an accountability mechanism for those who are unable to meet their commitments...