Paris, 2 December. Today, Carbon Market Watch and Pixel Impact launch the new COP21 video game CAPMAN. The interactive video game about the superhero CAPMAN, the heroic embodiment of real climate action, is promoting actions that limit CO2 emissions and cap global warming at 1.5C. The game will be launched at 7pm CET at the EU Pavilion in the COP21 venue.
The aim of the game is to score points by reducing CO2 while avoiding “baddies” that represent “hot air credits” and undermine the efforts of CAPMAN. The baddies represent double counted emission reductions, non-additional carbon offsets, surplus emission allowances, non-permanent carbon credits, and lobbyists that promote such options.
“The Kyoto Protocol is currently suffering from an 11 gigatonne hot air loophole that undermines its viability” commented Femke de Jong, Carbon Market Watch’s EU policy advisor. “Although the Paris agreement will be set under different parameters, hot air could be generated in various ways, such as by double counted emission reductions and surplus emission allowances and may significantly harm this the effectiveness of the Paris agreement”.
The game takes place at four different levels: in the Arctic, in a polluted city, in a monoculture tree plantation and at the Paris climate negotiations. In each level, extra points can be scored with boosts from negotiation texts that protect CAPMAN against the baddies.
“The goal of the new COP21 superhero is the same as the goal we all have for COP21: to ensure that our planet remains a liveable and beautiful environment” explained Andrew Coiley, Communications Manager at Carbon Market Watch’s, who co-designed the game together with the organisation Pixel Impact. “Like every superhero, CAPMAN has some enemies that are determined to stop him. With this videogame, we aim to lighten difficult negotiations by reminding delegates what to look out for and how to navigate effectively towards an ambitious climate deal”.
Antonin Acquarone, President of Pixel Impact added, “Capman is a video game in which everyone can act by showing his will for climate action and by pressuring the policy-makers for an ambitious and strong agreement at the COP21. This game has been successfully developed to go beyond the traditional media communications to reach a wide audience and to empower citizens from all around the world to take part of the negotiations”
ENDS
Information for journalists:
Policy Brief: Avoiding hot air in the 2015 Paris agreement here
Policy Brief: The EU’s hot air – lifting the fog here
Videogame flyer here
Contact details:
Femke de Jong
+33 (0) 85 88 75 63
Andrew Coiley
+32 483 65 50 78
Antonin Acquarone
+33 6 63 89 74 57
