Virtual Reality for Environmental Sustainability - New Version of our Report

We're delighted to share the latest output from the STRATEGIES project: Virtual Reality for Sustainability, Version 1.2, published today by Professors Joost Raessens and Thomas Bjørner.

This report maps the global landscape of VR experiences and institutions working at the intersection of immersive technology and environmental engagement. It includes a catalogue of 79 sustainability-focused VR experiences — covering everything from ocean acidification and coral reef decline to rainforest preservation, biodiversity loss, and the interdependence of human and non-human life. It also traces the history and key concepts of VR as a medium, and explores how immersive experiences can support environmental literacy, behaviour change, and systems thinking.

Crucially, the report doesn't shy away from difficult questions. It addresses the tensions inherent in using technological innovation for sustainability-oriented ends, including methodological challenges, questions of access, and the environmental footprint of VR technologies themselves.

Whether you're a researcher, educator, cultural institution, or industry practitioner, this report offers both a rich reference resource and a critical framework for thinking about VR's role in environmental communication and action.