Climate change cannot be tackled in the long run, if the decision makers of the future don’t understand it. However, climate change data and environmental effects are incredibly complex, even for adults. To drive change, Neste decided to gamify the data from thousands of climate studies collected by the IPCC.

The outcome was EduCycle: world's first augmented reality game that teaches about climate change. With EduCycle children and adults alike can see how human choices affect the environment in real-time. The goal is to learn how climate change can be tackled by making choices that meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.

The educational game can also be played with different objectives. It can demonstrate the outcomes of excessive power production or be used to compare the environmental effects of alternative choices, such as fossil aviation and renewable aviation.

EduCycle also features a barometer that demonstrates how realistic the players’ choices are from the society’s perspective; people need food, energy and fuel to live their everyday lives. So how to find the perfect balance between living in a modern society and making sustainable choices that prevent climate change? One has to play to find out.

EduCycle compares the player’s choices and their effects to the targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The game indicates how every choice is a balancing act between human needs and the best option for the environment. The AR world of the game adapts to the players’ actions demonstrating the outcomes of their choices in real-time.

Two classes from New York and Helsinki were actively involved in the development and beta-testing of EduCycle. Other schools discovered the game through advertising and online content created during the game development. EduCycle was launched spring 2017. EduCycle Exchange, that allows students to share information internationally was introduced shortly after. EduCycle is now incorporated into curriculums in 11 countries teaching hundreds of students about climate change.

Currently EduCycle teaches hundreds of students about climate change in a comprehensible and interesting way. EduCycle has sparked discussions about the balance between human needs and the well-being of environment as well as individuals’ everyday choices, such as choosing vegetarian meals instead of meat. Neste has succeeded to communicate the younger generation that they can and should demand sustainable solutions.

The knowledge that students gain by seeing how their choices affect the environment is the biggest impact of EduCycle. The game teaches future decision-makers about the impact of climate change and how they can actively be a part of the solution. It also inspires them to develop further knowledge.

EduCycle has gained tremendous interest globally. The combined earned media value for the campaign exceeded 1,855,800 € and the content reached over 220 million people on social media. In addition, over 800 school from over 70 countries visited the website.