Academic Network

This network consists of around 200 academic contacts globally, who are exchanging their current research and best practices for a sustainable games industry during the network meetups. They also collaborate on joint research collaborations and funding applications across academia and games industry.

"SGA is the organization in the space of games and sustainability that combines pragmatic industry leadership and organization, evidence-based work using cutting-edge research, and a vision for meaningful systemic change. They are organizing industry, research, and advocacy in a way that gives me hope that we can, together, become leaders towards a real, sustainable, and humane future."
Patrick Prax
Patrick PraxAssociate Professor in Game Design, Uppsala University, Editor of the book "The Game needs to Change - Towards Sustainability in Game Design"
“SGA eliminates a gap between the worlds of sustainable thinking and gamedev. Their third-sector work literally makes digital games greener and the game industry more attuned to the demands of the world undergoing a momentous transformation.”
Paweł Frelik
Paweł FrelikProfessor of Screen Cultures, University of Warsaw
“The STRATEGIES team is pleased to collaborate with the SGA in shaping a standard that reflects both scientific rigour and industry relevance. Through regular dialogue and expert review, we ensure the SGA Standard meets high expectations for sustainability and accountability.”
Christopher Paling
Christopher PalingSenior Lecturer (Environmental Management),Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University
"It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it: Establishing an environmental standard takes some serious skill and dedication, and I couldn't imagine a more qualified and passionate group of people than the SGA doing it. Thank you for your pioneering work!"
Dr. Thorsten BuschSenior Lecturer, Zurich University of Applied Sciences & University of St. Gallen

Meetups

These SGA Meetups aim to bring together representatives from universities and institutes who are committed to advancing a more sustainable games industry. They serve as a platform to share best practices, current knowledge, innovative ideas, and upcoming projects. The goal is to foster global collaboration and promote more effective and cost-efficient implementation of sustainable practices within the games industry.  Understand how universities and institutes can support game developers of the future by embedding sustainable practices and ecological thinking in training programmes and education, equipping future industry with the skills they need. Our members are already collaborating on shared projects and future funding calls. Let’s work together and share our knowledge!

Meetup playlist
Upcoming Meetups
Discord

Meetup Recordings

#1 Academic Global Action for a Sustainable Games Industry

Case Studies

1. (Chloe Germaine, Manchester University) Carbon Literacy Training Programme for Game Development Students:

2. (Patrick Prax, Department of Game Design, Uppsala University) We need Systemic Sustainability, and Systemic Sustainability needs Safe Spaces!

3. (Sonia Fizek, Cologne Game Lab) Eco-Critical Games Education / Environmental Sustainability in Games Education

#2 - Academic Global Action for a Sustainable Games Industry

Case Studies

1. (Emma Westerlund, Novia University of Applied Sciences) Rethinking Education: Education is important – but it’s not enough. There are still some major gaps within education. One is the discrepancy between what we know about sustainability issues and how we still continue to educate for linear systems. Another is the tension that often exists between academia and the industry. To truly educate for a sustainable future, both of these stumbling blocks need to be given high priority within higher education.

2. (University of Tuebingen, Ethics Center, Theresa Krampe) How can we discuss sustainability in games from an ethical perspective? What are related values and how can we put them into practice? How can we open, strengthen, and maintain productive lines of communications between researchers, industry stakeholders, and political decision-makers? These are some of the questions we seek to explore at the International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities; an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to the analysis of societal, cultural and technological transformations, nature and sustainable development. We’d like to use this meeting to introduce the emerging games-related initiatives at the Ethics Center, including a transdisciplinary conference scheduled for autumn 2026.

#3 Academic Global Action for a Sustainable Games Industry

Case Studies
 
1. Thorsten Busch (University of St Gallen, Switzerland) Does talking about sustainability connect us or drive us apart? In this short talk, I will make three main points: 1. HOW we talk about sustainability matters. 2. WHO talks to whom matters. 3. WHAT we mean by sustainability matters. To whom does all of that matter, you ask? Well, to just about everyone in the game industry, as it turns out. Join the conversation!
 
2. Per Fors (Uppsala University, Sweden) Our study of the sustainability disclosures from the Swedish game industry shows how companies within the industry report on environmental sustainability and what areas require improvement ahead of regulation like the CSRD. It also contributes methodologically to qualitative assessment of environmental sustainability reporting practices by developing of an assessment matrix.

#4 - Academic Global Action for a Sustainable Games Industry

In this meet-up we will hear about the work of the “Play for the Planet” network at the University of York, in the UK. The Play for the Planet Network is a collaborative initiative, bringing together game designers, researchers, and educators who are passionate about addressing planetary crises through the power of play. Their mission is to explore a diverse range of playful materials—such as digital games, interactive narratives, simulations, and more—as tools for modelling, stimulating discussion, fostering learning, and building connections. We delve into various forms of play, including digital, tabletop (board, card, and role-playing games), physical, and hybrid play, to discover how these mediums can create pleasure, enhance learning, aid decision-making, and deepen empathy towards people, places, and our planet.

Network Representatives

Chloé Germaine - Coordinator

Reader in Environmental Humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University and Co-Director of the Manchester Game Centre. She is co-lead of the STRATEGIES: A Sustainable Transition for Europe’s Game Industries project and editor of Material Game Studies.

Email: C.Germaine@mmu.ac.uk

Patrick Prax - Coordinator

Associate Professor at the Department of Game Design at Uppsala University, Sweden. The department is a member of the Sustainable Games Alliance. Patrick is one of the editors of the book “The Games Need to Change - Towards Sustainable Game Design” and he has been working with sustainability in game design education and systemic sustainability that resist greenwashing and works for real, material, and humane change.

Email: patrick.prax@speldesign.uu.se