Walk the Climate Talk

We present a role-playing game that introduces teenagers to the science and economics of climate change by putting them in the position of delegates at the Conference of Parties climate talks. A first instalment of the game has been presented to teenagers at a Berlin secondary school as a card deck in which players select a country to represent and fight for its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions under conditions representative of United Nations negotiations. Fortuitously, students in this case study negotiated a deal closely resembling the 2015 Paris Agreement that was reached a few days later. More generally, the exercise offered the opportunity to appropriate environmental concepts introduced in the science class and deepen empathy bonds with the subject matter. Our paper discusses class feedback, teacher comments and potential improvements to the game in order to massively broaden its range prior to the COP22 in Morocco.