Low-Carbon Office

Low-Carbon Office is a decision-making game for understanding the reduction levers of a service company. Participants run Atelier Nova, a 200-person organization, with a starting footprint of 100 educational carbon points. They choose actions, deal with events and protect the social climate. It is designed for CSR teams, managers, support functions and groups in transition.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Launch the challenge

   8 min

   Present Atelier Nova, the starting 100 carbon points and the six areas. Emphasize that the points are educational. Form teams of 4 to 6 and hand out the canvases. Each team records the initial social climate: 10. “You are Atelier Nova’s transition committee. Over three years, your mission is to cut at least 30 points without breaking buy-in.”

   Tip — Display the final target from the start: 70 carbon points or less.

2. 2

   Read the levers

   7 min

   Let teams browse the Area and Action cards. Explain the three action stats. Show how to record an action in “Our Actions” and update the dashboard by area. “An action can be cheap, highly visible or very effective: these are not always the same thing.”

   Tip — Do not comment on the best choices yet: let teams make a few mistakes.

3. 3

   Year 1

   12 min

   Each team chooses its actions within the 10-point limit. It applies immediate effects, sets aside “the following year” effects, then you have each team draw an Event. Check budget, carbon and social climate. “Decide like a real committee: you have little budget, tempting symbols and sensitive issues.”

   Tip — Move from table to table with a simple calculator: total cost, reduction, climate.

4. 4

   Year 2

   12 min

   Before new choices, apply “the following year” effects decided in year 1. Give another 10 budget points. Teams choose, update the dashboard, then draw an Event. “Some structural decisions take time to deliver results. That is also what managing a transition means.”

   Tip — Ask teams to justify one major action and one mobilization action.

5. 5

   Year 3

   12 min

   Apply the delayed effects from year 2. Teams spend their final 10-point budget, apply the effects, then draw the last Event. Remind teams of the social climate rule if any team drops below 5. “Final year: seek impact, but check that the plan remains workable for the teams.”

   Tip — If a team calculates for too long, require a decision within 60 seconds.

6. 6

   Final score

   6 min

   Each team announces its total reduction, final footprint and social climate. Record scores on the board. Identify the teams that reach -30 points and those that narrowly miss. “Your score is not just a number: it tells the story of your priorities, blind spots and compromises.”

   Tip — Also recognize a team that did not win but kept a coherent pathway.

7. 7

   Debrief

   18 min

   Facilitate the debrief in three stages: Feel, Understand, Transfer. Let participants speak first, then connect to the key lessons: impact before visibility, the weight of purchasing and travel, acceptance built over time. “Let’s leave the game: what does this simulation teach us about our real company choices?”

   Tip — Always return to caution: in the real world, decisions are verified through data and dialogue.

Variants

• Remote version : Use a shared board with both canvases. Send the cards as PDFs or images. Teams work in breakout rooms; the facilitator draws events in the main room.
• Friendly competition : Display scores after each year. Reward three achievements: best reduction, best social climate, most balanced plan.
• Business anchoring : After the game, ask each team to replace two game actions with two real actions suited to its context.