To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, we'll need action from every sector, but the gaming industry hasn't been a prominent warrior for climate action. In fact, the gaming industry accounts for about 2.4% of US residential electricity use annually, and produces as much carbon dioxide as 5 million cars. Now, a new player has entered the sustainable fray: Unity Technologies, a leading platform for developing interactive, real-time 3D content with over 5,000 employees, has announced a pledge to reach net zero within the next ten years.

We spoke to Marina Psaros, Lead, Environment and Sustainability at Unity Technologies, and author of The Atlas of Disappearing Places: Our Coasts and Oceans in the Climate Crisis about the importance of the gaming industry taking steps toward net zero. We also discussed how other companies in the sector can facilitate significant change, and the ways in which Unity aims to lead the industry to net zero two decades before the rest of the nation. An example being their recent Unity for Humanity 2021 summit held just this week with panels focused on green gaming and innovation.

Notably, Marina emphasized the impact that sustainable practices can have both in the virtual world and IRL, stating: "Understanding that there are this many people playing video games is amazing, and we’re all using energy to play those games... If we use our resources, we can really shift culture around what it means to be an 'environmentalist.'"