The Financial Times’ Climate Game aims to put players in control of the future of the planet. It asks players to save the world from the worst effects of climate change through a gamified format. The game is available to everyone - subscribers and non-subscribers.
Ultimately players have to cut emissions, but, says the FT, they must also make trade-offs and balance the big decisions necessary to reach net zero by 2050. Players will experience the impacts of different decisions as they progress through multiple choice questions - watching the impact of each on global emissions.
The game focuses on electricity, transport, buildings and industry - the four sectors responsible for the biggest energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Players must also deal with other greenhouse gases, and protect people and nature, for the planet to remain habitable. When each player reaches the year 2050 they will receive a bespoke temperature projection for the year 2100 - an accurate reflection of the decisions they have made, says the FT.
The FT says it worked closely with the International Energy Agency and used published scientific research to ensure the game responded as accurately as possible to the decisions each player makes. You can read more about how it was modelled and created here.
Sam Joiner, visual stories editor at the FT, said: “Putting the player in control of the future of our planet helps them understand the effort required to keep global warming to below 1.5C. The Climate Game helps simplify a critical topic, and we hope it appeals to younger and non-specialist audiences through utilising a fun, visual format.”
How the Climate Game works
The FT says: After another summer of extreme weather global leaders have decided there is only one hope left - appoint a Global Minister for Future Generations to make the decisions squabbling nations have failed to for decades. After much deliberation, they have appointed you. For each question you need to decide the best course of action to reach net zero by 2050. As well as cutting emissions, questions will highlight how factors like cooperation, innovation, financial system reform and human equality are core levers of emissions reduction. To measure progress, an “emissions gauge” will show your progress towards net zero after each round of questions.
At the end of the game, players will see their total emissions cuts, how close they are to net zero and what changes to the planet have taken place under their reign. Crucially, they will see the projected temperature on Earth in 2100.
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