The video game industry has a considerable environmental impact. According to the digital expert Frédéric Bordage, video game development generates approximately 37 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, a figure which illustrates the significant ecological hurdles facing this booming sector 🎮
🤔 But where does this impact come from?
It results from several factors, from design to use by millions of players around the world ⤵️
- Server energy consumption
- Manufacturing computer equipment
- Development processes
- Distribution-related emissions
- Those related to the use of players
The emergence of Cloud Gaming adds a new dimension to this problem. By allowing gamers to access games directly from remote servers, this technology reduces the need for powerful hardware at home – but increases the power consumption of data centers and distribution networks.
Although this development makes it possible to reduce the carbon footprint at the user level, it places increased pressure on the infrastructures necessary for the proper functioning of the system. Cloud Gaming ☁️
Cloud gaming marks a turning point in the industry. It represents an opportunity for studios to reinvent themselves, commit to a more sustainable approach, and respond to growing consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products. 🌱
Table of contents
What changes on March 1, 2025
🤔 What is planned?
For any new request for assistance with the production of CNC, video game and animation studios will have to submit a carbon footprint for their projects:
- Forecast balance sheet to be submitted when submitting the production quote
- Final assessment to be submitted when submitting the final production cost
The calculation must be carried out using approved tools in accordance with the approval protocol set by the CNC.
👥 Who is affected?
All video game and animation industry professionals who wish to benefit from production aid from the CNC.
The size or legal form of the company does not matter, as long as it develops a video game or an animated work. This also includes projects developed by several companies or organizations together.
📅 When does it start?
Approved tools will be announced by the CNC on February 3, 2025, marking the official validation of carbon footprint calculation tools adapted to video game and animation productions.
Enforcement of these measures will begin on March 1, 2025 and will thus require all studios wishing to benefit from production assistance to submit their forecast carbon footprint and final assessment for their projects.
🧑🏫 How to get information?
The CNC held the first presentation webinar last September with Ekodev, with another webinar planned for February 2025 to present the approved tools to professionals and answer all their questions.
💪 Why is this important?
The objective of this measure is to give professionals suitable tools to integrate more sustainable practices into their production while promoting better management of their environmental impact. The approval tool will ensure that carbon footprint calculations are carried out in a rigorous and compliant manner.
The sector is already well underway…
The video game industry has already made significant steps towards decarbonization. In 2019, a consortium of companies: Microsoft, Sony, Google, Twitch, and many others, joined the initiative Playing for the Planet launched by the UN.
This initiative, launched during the United Nations climate summit, commits its members to reducing the carbon footprint of the sector ✅
Their commitment is already bearing fruit. In 2020, Sony announced that they had avoided 17.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, thanks to innovations such as:
- Rest mode for inactive players
- A system-on-chip architecture
- An energy-efficient diet
Other major players have also committed by signing the Games Console Voluntary Agreement (EU Directive 2009/125/EC). This agreement, recognized by the European Commission since 2015, aims to improve the energy efficiency of game consoles, thus reducing their ecological footprint while providing better performance for users 🎮
These initiatives show that the video game industry takes its ecological responsibilities to heart and is working towards a more sustainable future 🌱
…major efforts remain to be made
Despite progress in optimizing the sector’s carbon footprint, considerable challenges remain. The impact of digital technology on the environment no longer needs to be proven: streaming and cloud gaming represent sources of digital pollution that urgently need to be tackled!
A study carried out by three researchers at Lancaster University in 2020 highlighted worrying predictions. If cloud gaming continues to evolve at the current rate, video game industry emissions could reach 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 between 2020 and 2030 ⚡
🧐 Why such an impact?
Our screens are becoming more and more efficient and with the rise of 4K, video games consume more energy. To give you an idea:
🔟 minutes of gaming on PC without 4K = 2️⃣GB of data
🔟 minutes of gaming on PC with 4K = 3️⃣GB of data*
Considering the number of players in the world, this represents a colossal amount of data and energy 🪫
Furthermore, in the absence of consoles, cloud gaming relies entirely on data centers, requiring massive amounts of fossil energy like coal, which contributing to the increase in digital pollution.
The industry therefore has a long way to go to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. The transition to renewable energies for data centers and more responsible management of resources must become priorities to prevent the ecological impact of the sector from becoming uncontrollable.
Our advice for decarbonizing a video game
Decarbonizing a video game is much more than simply reducing CO2 emissions. It’s requires an overall approach that involves every stage of production, from design to distribution, and even after the game’s release.
Here are some concrete strategies that studios can adopt to minimize the carbon footprint of their video games ⤵️
💡 Optimize development processes
Decarbonizing a video game starts from conception. This involves optimizing code, reducing server resource requirements, and simplifying architectures to limit energy consumption.
Developers can also favor more efficient and less energy-intensive tools, while reducing the size of game files to limit data transfer.
⚡ Reduce the impact of servers and infrastructure
To reduce the impact of cloud gaming and servers, it is crucial to favor data centers powered by renewable energies. Studios can also choose to locate their servers in regions where clean energy is used or opt for hybrid solutions combining physical and cloud servers with low CO2 emissions.
🎮 Limit players’ carbon footprint
Gamers play a vital role in the industry’s carbon footprint. To encourage more responsible behavior, studios can incorporate settings energy saving in games, such as options to reduce graphics quality or enable low power modes.
📦 Reduce the impact of packaging and distribution
Although more and more games are distributed digitally, the video game industry remains largely dependent on physical packaging for special editions. Reducing the size of the boxes, using recyclable materials, or favoring plastic-free packaging can significantly limit the carbon footprint of physical distribution.
🌍 Raise awareness and involve the gaming community
Video game studios also have a role to play in education and the awareness of their players. By integrating this prism in games (for example, by planting virtual trees or supporting ecological causes), studios can encourage more responsible behavior and raise awareness of climate issues in their community.
Let’s talk about your decarbonization project
Book a meeting with one of our experts
The benefits of this decarbonization for studios
Adopting decarbonization practices in video game development is not only beneficial for the environment, but it also has several advantages for studios ⤵️
🤝
💵
Sustainable practices strengthen the commitment of employees and build player loyalty.
Carbon-free studios can obtain advantageous grants and funding.
📅
📉
Complying with environmental requirements now allows you to stay competitive.
Less energy consumption allows for long-term economies of scale.
Jyros, the calculator to follow closely
Jyros is a tool developed specifically to measure the carbon footprint of video games. It allows studios to calculate the environmental impact of their productions by taking into account several criteria, such as:
- Server energy consumption
- The impact linked to storage infrastructures
- Emissions generated by distribution
One of the major advantages of Jyros is its ability to provide detailed data adapted to the video game industry, thus allowing professionals to better understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their projects ✅
The tool is designed to be used from the earliest stages of production, providing a forecast balance sheet and then monitoring impact as the project progresses.
It is important to note that Jyros is not yet officially approved by the CNC. But it represents a more than relevant solution to meet the requirements of future regulations and improve the management of its carbon impact in a sector increasingly concerned with sustainability 🌱
In bref
The video game industry is at an important turning point, with the need to integrate carbon footprint reduction in its production processes. The obligation to submit a carbon footprint for projects financed by the CNC is a crucial step to create a more environmentally friendly sector 🌿
Although efforts have already been made, much remains to be done to reduce the impact of cloud gaming, the energy consumption of servers, and the use of equipment by players.
Studios have a unique opportunity to prepare now for this transition. By adopting carbon footprint calculation tools and integrating sustainable strategies, they will not only be able to reduce their impact, but also position themselves as leaders in a market increasingly focused on sustainability 🚀
With the entry into force of the measure on March 1, 2025, it is time to prepare for these upcoming changes and actively engage in the ecological transition of the video games industry!
