DOI
10.1016/j.ijme.2017.03.012

Summary
This study is concerned with active education methods of sustainable development and climate change. The purpose of this paper is to address the case of Celsius – The 2 Degree Challenge. Celsius is a board game created to engage business students and leaders in the climate change discussion by simulating various functions of the related system and its complexity.

The methods in this study include the collection of qualitative data from participant observations, teaching notes and a survey comprised of 22 graduate students. The use of these methods have provided insight into (1) the significance of games in sustainable development education and (2) learnings from the Celsius game with regards to understanding climate change as a complex system and the significance of collaborative motivations and values. The introduction section delivers key background information the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the climate change challenge and the origins of the Celsius game. Carreira et al. then go on to perform a literature review covering ‘education for sustainable development (ESD)’ and ‘the role of games in education for sustainable development (ESD)’. The Celsius game is described in detail in section 3 – opening with the objectives of:

‘(a)  increasing participants' awareness and formal knowledge of Climate Change;

(b)  demonstrating possible business measures of mitigation and adaptation;

(c)  demonstrating that Climate Change involves a field of choices and that different choices lead to different impacts and

outcomes;

(d)  demonstrating the importance of articulation and collaboration among different stakeholders in and between private

and public sectors in Climate Change matters - this objective was particularly important given a diagnosis made by GVces researchers based on their interactions with partner organizations. Such diagnosis revealed that many companies were individually taking proper actions on reducing their carbon emissions, but they made few attempts regarding private lobby to the approval of low carbon public policies’.

Table 1. presents an example of the game cards and associated values.

The survey results portray a strong consensus that the game acts as an effective means for learning about climate change and sustainable development.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This study is relevant to the teaching and furthering of sustainable development curriculum. The Celsius game has been proven to be a useful tool for systems education on climate change and sustainable development. This game may be used for the reimagining of higher education. The objectives learning outlined above demonstrate effectiveness of using Games as a teaching method.

 SDGs are described here as providing ‘clear guidelines an targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and environmental challenges of the world at large’.

Point of Strength
As a whole the study actors are strong point for the cosy objectives. The game itself could be used directly as a teaching method at her GIs or it could be used as a form of inspiration for further studies of a similar game.