Game changers: achieving sustainability in the video game industry

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🗞️ Driving the news: The video game industry's environmental impact is under scrutiny due to its growing carbon footprint, spanning the entire lifecycle of production from the mining of materials for consoles to the energy demands of cloud gaming
• However, there are sustainable practices emerging within the industry and among gamers to mitigate these effects

🔭 The context: The industry's sustainability challenges are linked to the extraction and manufacturing processes of gaming consoles, which involve materials like copper, gold, and zinc
• These processes are energy-intensive and contribute significantly to carbon emissions — for instance, the manufacturing of Sony's PlayStation 4 has resulted in 8.9 billion kg of CO2 emissions since 2015

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The video game sector's environmental footprint is a microcosm of the broader challenges faced in balancing technological advancement with sustainability
• The industry’s shift towards more energy-efficient products and digital solutions like Games as a Service reflects a growing recognition of the need for environmentally responsible practices

⏭️ What's next: Both gamers and the industry have roles to play in enhancing sustainability
• Gamers can adopt practices like switching off consoles when not in use, opting for digital games, and recycling e-waste
• The industry, on the other hand, is moving towards more sustainable production, packaging, and mining practices, with some companies aiming to go carbon neutral

📈 One stat: Electronic waste (e-waste) is a significant problem, with 50 million metric tons produced globally each year, and only about 25% of it being recycled

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