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COP26 – Climate change: why esports needs to up its game

November 8, 2021

With the major discussions continuing to unfold at COP26 about climate change and how it is being managed domestically and internationally, we take a look at esports and its negative impact on the real world. 

Climate change is a harsh reality; it’s occurring right now and, at the current rate, will continue to do get worse. We all know about the negative effects of carbon emissions coming from cars and agriculture; however, did you realise just how bad gaming is for the environment? 

As the esports industry continues to develop, so too does its carbon footprint. The numbers are astounding. It is estimated that esports consumes 34 terawatt-hours of energy each year, the equivalent of five million cars on the road. 

Many companies in esports manufacture their hardware with petroleum-based substances. Additionally, esports executives and professional players travel tens of thousands of air miles a year flying around the globe to tournaments. Studies have also found that the average gamer will release 2,000 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere every year through gaming. 

However, there is good news for esports and climate action, as both spaces can easily be intertwined. In fact, there are already many actions being taken to reduce the carbon footprint in esports.  

This year, the Global Esports Federation committed to joining the Sports for Climate Action initiative to ensure a future of low-carbon emissions. Additionally, Guild Esports launched a sustainable Fortnite tournament, where a real tree was planted for every tree chopped down in-game. 

With one in three people in the UK being classified as gamers, there are many simple steps that can be taken to reduce emissions. These include supporting gaming brands that are focused on tackling climate change and are engaged in practices to at least reduce their carbon footprint, switching off your gaming console when not using it, and even turning on any eco-mode options on your TV, console. These can all make a significant impact if many gamers follow suit.  

The esports and gaming industries must consider the climate to improve the prospects of a better future. But they also have to empower their communities to follow suit. Online actions have real world implications. 

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We are excited to announce that Sine Qua Non (SQN) has joined rEvolution, bringing SQN’s technology and communications prowess to rEvolution, the global, integrated sports marketing agency. Together, we will continue to grow as one team to deliver best-in-class integrated marketing services for our clients.

We put people first, challenge personal effectiveness, and act as change agents on a unified team. We share these values now and moving forward. In this next chapter we will scale our skillsets and expertise together to make an increasingly significant impact in the industry.

Please visit http://www.revolutionworld.com to learn more about rEvolution’s capabilities and culture.

This is an exciting time for everyone on our collective team, and we look forward to continuing our work with you.

John Rowady
CEO & Founder, rEvolution

Claire Ritchie
CEO & Founder, SQN

Chris Ritchie
Director & COO, SQN