• Home

About Carbon Game

Introduction

The carbon trading game is a pan-European project funded by the EU. The game provides an exciting stimulus for students to explore one solution to climate change – carbon trading. This is based on a market solution to reduce carbon emissions using the principle of cap & trade. In the game teams of students from across Europe play the role of Carbon Traders buying carbon through an online auction.

How the Game Works

In the game students buy and sell carbon using a Dutch auction over a series of rounds, with each round representing a single year. After each round the carbon bought is sold at the market price and teams credited with their profits (or losses if that paid too much in the auction). As each round progresses the amount of carbon available to buy is reduced, mirroring the process of cap and trade. Each round lasts for a minute with six rounds scheduled over 30 minutes. It is fast and furious, and teams must think quickly to survive!

At the end of the game the teams’ final results are tallied and compared with other teams. The game provides an exciting inter-active way to discuss climate change and explore one market based solution. The game encourages students to think less about traditional do-your-bit approaches to climate change but to think of more win-win solutions.

For more information see the Carbon Trading and Teaching Resources.