The Sustainable Games Alliance (SGA) is a newly formed non-profit cooperative of game companies and trade associations with the mission of making games the most sustainable form of entertainment on the planet. Led by industry veterans like Jiri Kupiainen and Ben Abraham, the SGA aims to create specific and actionable ways to measure, understand, and reduce the environmental footprint of the global games industry.
Jiri Kupiainen, former Disney vice president and serial gaming entrepreneur, is the chairperson and co-founder of the SGA. In an interview, he expressed the belief that the gaming industry, with its almost 200 billion in annual revenues, can and should lead on sustainability. He highlighted the strong demand from players, employees, and regulators for action on sustainability, and the willingness of many companies to do the right thing.
One of the key initiatives of the SGA is the development of a free, open, and global industry standard for sustainability reporting for game companies. Ben Abraham, co-founder of the SGA and a leading researcher in games and sustainability, emphasized the importance of leveraging the industry’s metrics and data to drive sustainability efforts. The SGA is working closely with its members to simplify compliance with key regulations such as the European Sustainability Reporting Standards and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
The alliance is also releasing a briefing paper on gaming’s scope 3 emissions to guide the development of a unified reporting model for the games industry. Maria Wagner, the managing director and co-founder of the SGA, highlighted the need for concrete action and collaboration among member companies and associations to drive sustainability in the industry.
Kupiainen shared a personal journey that led to the formation of the SGA, including a realization of his own carbon footprint and a desire to bridge the gaming world with sustainability. The SGA aims to establish a standard for calculating and measuring emissions for game studios in a comparable way, with the goal of creating a global efficiency footprint for the industry.
The roadmap for the SGA includes finalizing the first version of the standard by the end of the year and focusing on actionable steps to drive change in the industry. With the support of industry veterans like Petri Järvilehto and David Helgason, the SGA is poised to make a significant impact on the sustainability of the gaming industry.
In conclusion, the Sustainable Games Alliance is paving the way for a more sustainable future for the gaming industry. By bringing together industry leaders, researchers, and trade associations, the SGA is set to drive meaningful change and inspire other industries to follow suit. Join the movement and be a part of the next generation of video game leaders at GamesBeat Next in San Francisco on October 28th and 29th.