behind the scenes

Putting the Justice in Just Energy Transition: Power to the People!

During the Mzansi Climate Justice Game Jam, the South African team Power to the People developed a game centred on the Just Energy Transition, building upon an original resource management concept. In the game, the player takes on the role of Transition Director, tasked with reducing CO2 emissions in a socially and environmentally just manner. As the player, you must balance economy, ecology, and equity while building new power stations and decommissioning old ones, taking into account the impact of these actions. The team examined how energy decisions impact people and the planet, recognising that energy is a multifaceted phenomenon, encompassing both social and political aspects, as well as technical considerations.

Game designer and programmer Brendan Jackson explained that the aim is to educate players about what a just energy transition means, especially in a South African context. “The tension comes through in the different choices the player has to make,” he says, “as they navigate trade-offs between the various aspects and stats of the game.”

Members of the Power to the People team

Participants had an average knowledge of climate justice before working on the game, perceiving it more as an abstract concept. During the game jam, and through working with new people, they learned how multi-faceted climate justice is. This expansion of their knowledge also speaks to the complexity and diversity of climate justice and the lived experiences of climate injustices.

A crucial aspect of the current game came from Session 2 of the game jam, TWIST, during which participants were challenged to subvert their original game ideas. For Power to the People, this meant making the game people-focused and aligning the notion of climate justice with the lived experiences of the players and characters, especially when it comes to power and the ultimate goal of Just Energy Transition.

This team says that highlighting the Global South perspective in this project is a shift in the right direction. Siphelele Mabaso (team artist) says, “I believe the inclusion of the Global South in climate justice conversations is very important. We are often the ones who have to deal with the adverse effects of climate change, yet rarely get justice for the damage caused predominantly by the Global North. The generalised exclusion of our voices seems intentional, as we continue to bear the brunt of climate change and live with ongoing injustice. There seems to be little value placed on our experiences and perspectives on the global stage, since the major decisions are still largely made by the Global North, which is the primary contributor to climate change and the ones who define climate justice and decide how it ‘should’ be achieved.”

The unorthodox approach in the Mzansi Climate Justice Game Jam unearthed a new angle of what climate justice can be for participants. Team storyteller, Bakang Mputle, discovered that radical value positions have to be taken when tackling climate change. He says, “The focus, among others, should be on indigenous education systems, feminist environmental movements, or youth-led climate justice campaigns as examples of radical perspectives.”

Demo-ing Power to the People

While there was a big push on learning, both for the participants and players, this was a game jam after all, and fun was a critical part of the plan. The Power to the People team enjoyed the challenge of collaboration with various creatives. They cited this game’s 4X genre (strategy games defined by a core gameplay loop of eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) and choice card mix as stand-out features. They were also inspired by the Community Talks featuring industry experts, organised to help the participants get a better understanding of climate justice and critical play games.

For this team, that learning will be continued in various forms. Brendan plans on using the knowledge he now has about games for impact in his work as a game design teacher with his students. Bakang says he will transfer these new learnings into his academic work and write more on gamification and environmental issues. Siphelele is still finding her feet in the world, but feels the game jam absolutely added valuable experiences. “As a writer, thinker, and lifelong student, the concepts introduced to me along with those I developed further during this experience will contribute to my professional growth. This experience has expanded my skill set and deepened my understanding of how to engage with complex ideas creatively and collaboratively.”

A still from the Power to the People game

The game is available for you to play in-browser here.