Games and Climate Action at the UN’s inaugural Games and SDG Summit
I spent my first year at University of Cambridge researching and writing about the role of video games to encourage climate action. I was fortunate to collaborate with the incredible team at ustwo Games on this work, especially Jennifer Estaris who is a shining star in the games for good space. They are a group of passionate, talented, and deeply committed people. Through our work, I realized that video games can and will play a part in building a healthier, more joyful, safer, and more sustainable world.
Games are for everyone. They unify people across cultures, continents, and every demographic designation. Their stories are timely and timeless. They allow us to reconcile with our past, make sense of our present, and simulate our future with a high degree of accuracy and an abundance of empathy. They help us not only to imagine a better and brighter future, but also create the roadmap to get there. Games can do what so many other tools can’t: they can transcend politics, cross the chasm of experience, and help establish common ground. They are a map, a compass, and a guidebook to the very highest calling of humanity — to be humane to all beings.
Today I’m at the United Nations for the inaugural Games and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Summit at the UN Headquarters, the kick-off to the 20th Games for Change Festival. I’m honored to be invited with industry professionals, government officials, and sustainable development experts, and look forward to all of the incredible conversations, ideas, and ambitions that will flow through each and every person in the room. Together, we’re building the path to higher ground, and I can’t wait to see what we find.