How can the fastest growing media platform in the world be harnessed to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and the urgent global needs they represent? We’ve summarized recent relevant developments in the video games sector, perspectives from over 50 thought leaders from the industry, and extracted seven recommendations to provoke new thinking, new collaborations, new games and real-world impact. This assessment presents a vision of how the video game industry, gamers, parents, policymakers and UN Environment can together ‘Play for the Planet’.

The video game industry is making a tidal shift towards sustainability. Led by 30 of the most globally influential Triple-A companies in the sector, together with smaller studios of immense creativity and dedication, they form the Playing for the Planet Alliance hosted by UN Environment and GRID-Arendal. Each of these companies are leading by example, having declared substantial, quantifiable, time-based commitments to reduce emissions and waste from operations and game play, and to help gamers make meaningful changes of their own. Additionally, this group will amplify their
influence across the industry, with agreements to collaborate with UN Environment and GRIDArendal to develop a forthcoming reference guide. This resource pack will support game developers who wish to incorporate climate change and other environment issues into their games, or better understand and reduce the environmental impacts of gaming.
The Playing for the Planet Alliance aims to make visible, industry-relevant impact in twospecific areas: goals for restoration of forests and reforestation, and ‘nudges’ that move companies and individuals towards more planet-friendly choices.
To support the video game industry in actionsto help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we summarize seven recommendations, further elaborated in this report: Include a ‘green nudge’ in every game ; Create an annual impact season; Pledge for the planet; Cut e-waste and go 100% clean; Fiscal incentives for ‘serious’ sustainability
games; Team up, reward, and make it famous; Help parents to engage with their children around gaming; The Playing For The Planet Alliance welcomes; your ideas, games, commitments and innovations. Peek inside the back cover for ideas, join us on the web, and let us know: How will YOU ‘level up’ for the planet?