Playing for the Planet (P4P) Carbon Calculator tool

Core Features

Unlike general-purpose carbon accounting platforms, the Playing for the Planet Carbon Calculator was designed around the operational realities of the video games sector. Its main capabilities include:

• Comprehensive Scope 1, 2 and 3 accounting – captures emissions from direct operations, purchased energy and value-chain activities, including games-specific sources such as data centres, user acquisition, hardware purchases and emissions from players using games.

• Carbon footprint baseline creation – helps organizations establish their first organizational greenhouse gas inventory, identify major emission sources and understand where reduction efforts are likely to have the greatest impact.

• Standards-aligned methodology – built around the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, Corporate Value Chain Standard, and associated Scope 2 and Scope 3 guidance, with methodology documentation prepared by The Carbon Trust.

• Reporting-ready outputs – produces results that can support regulatory disclosures, including reporting under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) required by the CSRD.

• Guided implementation and ongoing support – supplied with a methodology paper, user guide, live support from Playing for the Planet and The Carbon Trust, annual emission-factor updates, and follow-on guidance to help organizations move from measurement to emissions reduction.

Closing Insights

The Playing for the Planet Carbon Calculator grew out of a wider industry effort to establish a consistent approach to greenhouse gas accounting for video game companies. In 2023, the Playing for the Planet Alliance worked with The Carbon Trust and industry participants to produce the Untangling the Carbon Complexities of the Video Gaming Industry report, which clarified how the Greenhouse Gas Protocol should be applied to the sector. The report's recommendations subsequently formed the methodological foundation for the calculator, which was developed with The Carbon Trust, refined through pilot testing by Alliance members, and publicly released in 2025.

Rather than adapting a generic carbon accounting platform to suit game developers, the calculator was built specifically for the industry's operating model. It accounts for both conventional business activities and games-specific emissions sources, including data centres and emissions associated with players using games, while remaining aligned with internationally recognised GHG accounting standards. The result is a common framework that can improve the consistency and comparability of emissions reporting across the games ecosystem.

Although the calculator is intended primarily for game studios, publishers, and other organizations operating within the video games industry, its sector-specific methodology also makes it relevant to sustainability consultants, industry associations, and investors seeking reliable, consistent emissions data from gaming companies. The calculator is available free of charge to Playing for the Planet Alliance members, while non-members can obtain access through a one-time fee based on organization size. Delivered via Google Sheets, it is accompanied ongoing implementation support to help organizations progress from carbon footprint measurement to meaningful emissions reduction.