The Sustainable Games Standard
The Sustainable Games Standard facilitates global operational optimization, improvements that cut costs and reduce environmental impact, cost- and time-efficient sustainability compliance, and actionable emissions reduction within the games industry. It has been built by game companies, local games associations and leading scientists around the unique needs of the games sector and its value chain.
It has been developed by the Sustainable Games Alliance, in consultation with the STRATEGIES project’s work packaage 3 team.
A Framework Designed for Games
The Sustainable Games Standard is designed to empower the entire industry to actively make gaming the most sustainable form of entertainment. It is structured into several components that offer activity-based insights and data relevant to different roles across the games industry—particularly developers, sustainability managers, and service providers—helping them better understand and optimize their work through a sustainability lens, with positive implications for business performance and emission reduction.
What does the Standard cover?
It covers everything from game design and server infrastructure to marketing and hardware. We encourage developers to especially use the following components of the standard, as these facilitate direct optimization benefits and improved energy efficiency:
Scope 3.9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution: Game Installs, Game Updates, End user devices
Scope 3.11 Use of Sold Products: Mobile, Console and PC
Scope 3.1 Purchased goods & services: AdNetworks, Data Centres
For Reporting Managers – Efficient sustainability compliance and emission reduction
The Sustainable Games Standard is a games industry-specific interpretation of the GHG Protocol, designed to reduce the burden and complexity of complying with environmental, social, and governance disclosures required by multiple jurisdictions worldwide. The initial focus is on meeting the requirements of the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Starting with environmental impact, the standard will address additional required topics one by one.
EU Legislation: CSDDD, CSRD, EU Green Claims Directive, Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, EU Energy Efficiency Directive
U.S. California Regulations: SB253 & SB261 (Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act & Climate-Related Financial Risk Act)
UK Standards: ISSB standards
It enables detailed games industry specific measurement and reporting of Scope 1,2 and Scope 3 emissions.
Reviewed by experts and scientists
STRATEGIES is reviewing the SGA Standard, working closely with the SGA on its development. Since the beginning of 2025, the SGA has held fortnightly meetings with the Work Package 3 ‘Sustainable production – materials and emissions’ Team, who give their input and advice. Likewise, the SGA shares expertise and insight into the latest developments in the games industry itself, informing their research design and plans for their project partners.
Crucially, each component of the SGA standard has been reviewed and checked by WP3’s team of experts in carbon accounting and public standard development. Their feedback and suggestions ensure that the Sustainable Games Standard lives up to the high expectations of civil society.