GTG Links 55 – Look ma, I'm in the Post!

Welcome back. We're in the Washington Post today talking about how, while extremely good, energy efficiency in gaming does not get us to 100% net zero emissions on its own. Maybe that's obvious? Maybe it's not! We also need more more more renewable energy baby, and a bunch of other things to align (like an industry standard for how to measure and report GHG emissions yes?). Some of those don't make it in, but there's also some industry luminaries like Xbox Sustainability head Trista Patterson, P4PA's Sam Barratt, and friend-of-GTG Kara Stone, creator of Solar Server & Known Mysteries.

Riot’s annual impact report came out recently

For whatever reason though, we don't get any emissions disclosures – but they have now set near-term SBTi net zero targets (good), and a 2050 net zero target (also good), but the proof is in the pudding. Without actual GHG emissions figures... how will be know if they're on track? What's included in the inventory and what's not? How are they planning to tackle end-user emissions? We just don't know! More info please.

Microsoft is now selling Xbox parts

Hey this is good news... but with a catch: some of them are more expensive than a new console? Something's a bit out of whack here.

iFixit now sells genuine Xbox replacement parts but at ridiculous prices — $599 for an Xbox Series X motherboard when a new console costs $499

Motherboard replacements can cost more than a console, though…

Tom's HardwareChristopher Harper

Chip manufacturing report

This is great – a big, meaty report from back in June, all about the ecological impacts of making chips. A couple of my highlights are the progress in including more Scope 3 categories in the manufacturers inventories – a trajectory that gives me hope for games (which are doing a pretty average job of capturing the full value chain emissions picture so far), though they are limiting it to the upstream parts of Scope 3. (All the more reason for us to do better at capturing and disclosing usage downstream as game software makers I'd think?)

And secondly, this nice map of the different parts of the manufacturing process and where they touch of different emissions scopes, and why – chemicals, energy use, fuel, water, machines... it's all coming with a cost.

Take a look at the full report below.

Chip Production’s Ecological Footprint: Mapping Climate and Environmental Impact

interface (formerly Stiftung Neue Verantwortung) emerges as Europe’s premier Think Tank for cutting-edge tech policy. Our expert team navigates AI, cybersecurity, and more, shaping the continent’s digital landscape.

interface

Scope 3 – what is it good for, and what is it not?

I've been sitting on this one for a couple of months now, and trying to digest it. It's a really advanced take, full of great insights. The authors are living years in the future of GHG management practice – and beaming back suggestions about what's working and what isn't. Lots of implications here for those of us involved in GHG accounting that aims to make an actual different on emissions.

Also, check out their illustration of a fairly simple product value chain... you won't look at a simple tea bag the same way again.

Climate Doom Corner

Remember the massive floods in Valencia?

Well there's also this terrifying compilation video...

And check out this piece on Hurricane Helene’s impact on Tabletop gaming. It's a niche concern, you might think, given the context of all the other destruction, but it's a reminder that all business and leisure is 100% downstream of the bioshphere.

Hurricane Helene’s Impact on Tabletop

Games do not exist outside of climate change

Rascal NewsRowan Zeoli

And lastly for the extreme weather events section, I want to really recommend you watch this incredible short video looking at the effects of the debris slide from Hurricane Helene - you’ll learn something about how heavy inundations impact the environment and the sheer FORCE of weather.

Data Centre Updates

There's just no getting around it: data centres sit at a key intersection between climate, energy, and emissions. We've got a bunch of news and reports for you to peruse to stay abreast of things, starting with...

A McKinsey report on data centre and energy growth in Europe

Global AI Boom to Triple EU Data Centre Energy Use by 2030

McKinsey research suggests Europe data centre power consumption will surge from 62 TWh to over 150 TWh by 2030, driven by AI advancements and digitisation

Bizclik Media LtdAmber Jackson

Malaysia rejecting 1/3rd of data centres for power/water concerns

Johor rejects nearly one-third of 14 data centre applications in Jan-May to protect water, power resources

JOHOR has rejected almost 30 per cent of data centre applications in the past five months as the authorities focus on conserving resources and regulating the industry to ensure maximum benefits for the local economy. Read more at The Business Times.

The Business Times

And some analysis is showing data centre's facing power shortages as soon as next year

Thinking about carbon drawdown?

A phenomenal new paper came out in the last month, on the challenges facing direct air capture CO2

“removing a single metric ton (tonne) of CO2 from air requires processing about 1.8 million cubic meters of air, which is roughly equivalent to the volume of 720 Olympic-sized swimming pools.”

Reality check on technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the air

An MIT Energy Initiative study finds many climate-stabilization plans are based on questionable assumptions about the future cost and deployment of “direct air capture” and therefore may not bring about promised reductions.

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyNancy W. Stauffer | MIT Energy Initiative

Insurance costs blow-out in Houston

‘Never experienced anything like this:’ The new reality of insuring a Texas home

Texas homeowners are struggling to keep their homes insured, paying more for less coverage as climate change wreaks havoc on providers.

The Houston ChronicleMegan Kimble

1 tonne of carbon in different places are not equivalent

And more peer-reviewed research in prestigious journal Nature evaluating the actual achievemnets of carbon reduction projects is... not inspiring:

“We estimate that less than 16% of the carbon credits issued to the investigated projects constitute real emission reductions, with 11% for cookstoves, 16% for SF6 destruction, 25% for avoided deforestation, 68% for HFC-23 abatement, and no statistically significant emission reductions from wind power and improved forest management projects.”

Systematic assessment of the achieved emission reductions of carbon crediting projects - Nature Communications

Carbon markets are key in climate strategies, but only 16% of carbon credits represent real emission reductions, based on a study of 2,346 projects. Reforms are needed to improve the effectiveness of carbon crediting mechanisms in addressing climate change.

NatureBenedict S. Probst

Lets end with some hope and optimism

New lithium-sulur battery tech sounds awesome – and could be brought to market in just a couple of years:

Despite lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries having been conceptualized in the 1960s, practical applications were limited due to issues like poor life cycles and capacity loss from something called "the polysulfide shuttle effect," unique to Li-S batteries. As the battery discharges, sulfur at the cathode side reacts with the lithium, creating lithium polysulfides which diffuse through the electrolyte to the anode leaving deposits. While charging, some polysulfides would migrate back to the cathode, but not all, degrading the battery very quickly.

Texas, USA-based Zeta, in partnership with global automotive giant, Stellantis, reckons it's got that figured out.

Fiiiiingers crossed?

Stellantis lithium-sulfur EV batteries: cheaper, lighter, more range

In a potentially game-changing move for the EV industry, Stellantis and Zeta Energy Corp have teamed up to develop the next-generation EV battery with more range, more power, 50% faster charging, and at less than half the cost.

New AtlasZeta Energy Corp

Thanks for reading Greening the Games Industry! I hope you're still enjoying the slightly less regular posting schedule. Big news coming soon, as next year is shaping up to be a big one.

This might be the last GTG for the year, so if it is – I wish you a happy holidays, and a fantastic new year.