New report: Code, Climate, Creativity – Sweden’s games industry aim to take lead in green transition
The Swedish games industry is already an industry with low emissions and high ambitions, which could create climate benefits for other industries as well, a new report released today finds.
The report, Climate, Code, and Creativity, finds that Sweden’s games industry has a low climate footprint despite high profitability and global supply chains. Emissions from game development directly and indirectly through electricity consumption (so called Scope 1 and 2 according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) account for an estimated 0.015% of Sweden's industrial emissions. Meanwhile, the Swedish games industry accounts for close to 0.3% of the country’s jobs in the private sector and 1% of exports. Several Swedish game studios also have ambitious targets for emission reductions, according to a review in the report.
- Swedish games studios’ climate footprint is low, both compared to other industries in Sweden and the games industry internationally. In the right conditions, and with support and collaborations, the Swedish games industry could become a leading actor in the green transition, says Marléne Tamlin, Head of Sustainability at the Swedish Games Industry.
The game development industry's single biggest climate challenge is the resource consumption when the games are played. To reduce these emissions, various measures need to be taken, the report finds. Primarily international investments in fossil-free electricity production, but also measures from software and hardware developers and actors in digital infrastructure that operate platforms, servers and data centers, so that players can make green choices when they play. Technical solutions such as eco-modes and limitations on the size of downloads are measures that game studios can implement to reduce players’ emissions.
- Even including players’ emissions, playing digital games holds up well from a climate perspective in comparison to many other activities one can undertake. In addition, the report finds that innovations in the games industry can help other industries make the green transition by, among other things, visualization, digital twins, serious games, and cross-sector working methods, says Björn Flintberg, Researcher at Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).
Furthermore, the report highlights the role of game culture in stirring up feelings, thoughts and conversations and presents several Swedish games that raise climate and environmental issues in various ways.
- Games are unique and complex creative works and, just like other art, can be used as a form of expression to incite thoughts, start conversations and capture engagement, says Marléne Tamlin.
The report is released today, October 24, at a game developer conference, For Devs, in Stockholm, Sweden. The report will then be presented internationally at the UN headquarters in New York, USA, at the Games for Change conference on October 29.
Download the report Climate, Code and Creativity here: https://dataspelsbranschen.se/hllbarhetsrapporter
The report was produced in 2024 by the trade organization for games in Sweden, Swedish Games industry, Sweden's research institute and innovation partner, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), the community organization for the game development industry in south Sweden, Game Habitat, and the sustainability agency U&We.
Also check out the new toolbox for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from game development: www.dataspelsbranschen.se/playcreatecalculate
For more information, please contact:
Marlene Tamlin
Head of Sustainability, Swedish Games industry
marlene.tamlin@dataspelsbranschen.se
+46 (0)737-189 800
