Our very own Shu Liang joins Climate Risk Advisor Roop Singh on Can’t Take the Heat, a podcast by Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, to discuss how climate games can engage organizations to take practical action on climate adaptation.
This episode of the podcast looks into the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC, which underpinned the global climate conference COP26 in Glasgow. The IPCC is an intergovernmental body whose reports collect the most up-to-date climate science from all relevant research conducted in the last years, so that policymakers have a comprehensive overview of the state of the knowledge when they get together to make decisions on climate mitigation and adaptation.
Roop Singh talks to two authors of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Dr. Sonia Seneviratne of ETH Zurich, and Dr. Fredi Otto of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. They share the main findings of the report: Human influence on climate change is undeniable, and we are already seeing the effects of climate change globally through extreme weather events and heatwaves. This sounds quite grim, and the science behind it is often complex and hard to relate to your own life.
That’s where Shu and the DAYAD approach come into the podcast.
At the heart of DAYAD is creating fun and interactive activities like Game Day that make climate science more applicable to everyday situations. It brings together teams from organizations and communities to collaborate on the climate adaptation challenge, and lets everyone have a say in what decisions are made.
In the words of Shu Liang, Day of Adaptation’s founding director: “By playing the game, we open up a welcoming and encouraging space where people transform their mindset from being scared by climate change being so complex and challenging to grasp, to a space where they think: ‘Aha, it is relevant to my work, or life, or community. And there is something I can do with my team members or those around me.”
One of the players also shares his thoughts on the experience: “The game allowed you to experience all the stakeholders that are involved in climate change and how they could interact with each other and either become a hindrance or a help. And that really helped me put this much more into a practical framework instead of just a theoretical framework.”
Sharing information about climate change is important, but we also need to think about how it will impact our organizations and communities in practice. Have you already thought about how climate change will impact your organization or community, and what action you can take to adapt? For example, what would happen if there is a heatwave that floors your staff with fatigue? In the podcast, Shu shares some insight into practical ideas of what adaptation can look like based on the ideas of people who have played our game Minions of Disruptions. You can also hear a snippet of a play session to get a sense of all the excitement!
That is what’s so special about Minions of Disruptions as a communications tool: it breaks down climate change impacts to an understandable, relevant level. This way you can identify the practical actions you can take with your team and be prepared for what the changing climate may bring us, while having fun at the same time.
So, if you can’t take the heat, why not join a Game Day? Let’s talk about climate change and have fun together!
Listen to Shu share more of her thoughts below:
Links to resources shared in the podcast:
Stichting Day of Adaptation thanks Can’t Take the Heat by Roop Singh from Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre for the podcast opportunity. We welcome you to listen to the podcast from the below links if you are unable to play the embedded episode from Spotify.
Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre Apple Audible
Author: Minttu Hänninen
About the author: Minttu has a MSc in Sustainable Development from Utrecht University, with a specialization in environmental governance. She is excited about sustainability communications, and dreams of a spacious rooftop terrace where she can grow herbs and colorful flowers.