Journal of the
British Academy
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David White, Lynda Stevenson, Tim Pringle, Coriarna Morris, Rebecca Sawyer, Jacqueline Bailey, Alex Lewney, Katie Mouat, Natalie Southall
This work presents the development of an educational ecology-focused card game created in collaboration with a grass-roots community group. Employing a participatory action research (PAR) methodology, the group gathered and analysed data on public attitudes towards climate change and card games to inform the design of the game. Key findings revealed a general awareness of environmental change but a limited understanding of its causes. Additionally, the public expressed a positive attitude towards both card games and education through this medium. Building upon these insights, the group designed a card game that explores climate change and pollution threats to a marine ecosystem. The PAR approach was found to be effective in designing a card game through community-led dissemination of results and decision-making. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
10 June 2026
Alireza Moghayedi
Delivering sustainable and affordable housing for low-income communities remains a major challenge amid housing shortages, energy insecurity, and net-zero transition pressures. In South Africa, adoption of net-zero housing is limited by regulatory, financial, and social barriers, highlighting the need for stronger policy integration and technological innovation. This study develops a community-driven, scalable net-zero housing model integrating Community-Based Participatory Research with innovative construction techniques. Africa’s first net-zero affordable housing prototype, the Sustainable Innovative Affordable House (SIAH-NZ), was implemented to demonstrate real-world feasibility. Performance assessments show a 97 per cent reduction in operational carbon emissions, an 82 per cent reduction in life-cycle costs, and a three-day construction period using prefabricated monolithic panels. Post-occupancy surveys indicate strong community acceptance, with 90 per cent of participants willing to adopt net-zero housing if financial support is available. The study highlights policy pathways for scaling net-zero housing through regulatory reform, financial incentives, decentralised renewables, and localised decision-making, offering a replicable blueprint for equitable, climate-resilient housing. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
10 June 2026
Max White, Jing Zhao, Neil Phillips
Project CHANGE (Curating a Human-centred Approach for net zero: Gamifying Energy-behaviour) investigates how gamification can support public engagement in domestic energy retrofit and encourage sustainable behaviours. It introduces a prototype strategy-based simulation game that enables players to explore retrofit options, behavioural choices, and co-benefits within a risk-free, interactive environment. The paper outlines the development of the game, including its theoretical foundations, systems-based design, and user-centred methodology. The architecture integrates dynamic simulations [such as weather, NPC (non-player character) behaviour, and financial modelling] to illustrate how everyday decisions influence energy use and well-being. Initial findings from internal testing and a small-scale public trial indicate that gamified experiences can improve understanding of retrofit processes and increase perceived agency over household energy use. The paper also reflects on usability challenges, accessibility considerations, and constraints arising from limited resources and sample size. Overall, Project CHANGE demonstrates the potential of serious games as part of a broader toolkit for supporting systemic sustainability education and behaviour change. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
10 June 2026
Alireza Moghayedi
Delivering sustainable and affordable housing for low-income communities remains a major challenge amid housing shortages, energy insecurity, and net-zero transition pressures. In South Africa, adoption of net-zero housing is limited by regulatory, financial, and social barriers, highlighting the need for stronger policy integration and technological innovation. This study develops a community-driven, scalable net-zero housing model integrating Community-Based Participatory Research with innovative construction techniques. Africa’s first net-zero affordable housing prototype, the Sustainable Innovative Affordable House (SIAH-NZ), was implemented to demonstrate real-world feasibility. Performance assessments show a 97 per cent reduction in operational carbon emissions, an 82 per cent reduction in life-cycle costs, and a three-day construction period using prefabricated monolithic panels. Post-occupancy surveys indicate strong community acceptance, with 90 per cent of participants willing to adopt net-zero housing if financial support is available. The study highlights policy pathways for scaling net-zero housing through regulatory reform, financial incentives, decentralised renewables, and localised decision-making, offering a replicable blueprint for equitable, climate-resilient housing. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
10 June 2026
Max White, Jing Zhao, Neil Phillips
Project CHANGE (Curating a Human-centred Approach for net zero: Gamifying Energy-behaviour) investigates how gamification can support public engagement in domestic energy retrofit and encourage sustainable behaviours. It introduces a prototype strategy-based simulation game that enables players to explore retrofit options, behavioural choices, and co-benefits within a risk-free, interactive environment. The paper outlines the development of the game, including its theoretical foundations, systems-based design, and user-centred methodology. The architecture integrates dynamic simulations [such as weather, NPC (non-player character) behaviour, and financial modelling] to illustrate how everyday decisions influence energy use and well-being. Initial findings from internal testing and a small-scale public trial indicate that gamified experiences can improve understanding of retrofit processes and increase perceived agency over household energy use. The paper also reflects on usability challenges, accessibility considerations, and constraints arising from limited resources and sample size. Overall, Project CHANGE demonstrates the potential of serious games as part of a broader toolkit for supporting systemic sustainability education and behaviour change. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
10 June 2026
Eirini Gallou, Andrew Crerand
Climate justice recognises climate change as a global chain of cause and effect in which those most affected are often not those responsible for, or benefiting from, its drivers. Meaningful involvement of citizens and diverse stakeholders is therefore critical for assessing the socio-environmental impacts of development interventions that may impede justice, as well as identifying vulnerabilities. This article presents the development of a multi-stakeholder climate justice game based on dilemma-focused case studies, designed to build sustainability impact assessment skills within community settings. While emphasising the educational value of the game and its pilot application in postgraduate education, the paper also highlights persistent gaps in translating learning into policymaking and decision-making. It outlines key elements of game design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and approaches to assessing socio-ecological risks. By integrating the Sustainable Development Goals and adopting a value-pluralistic lens, the game broadens participation and evidence use, demonstrating its potential for democratic deliberation and advancing just transition debates. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
9 June 2026
Alessia Vacca, Karolina Glowka
Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level (Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration of 1992). Public participation is essential to sustainable development and good governance. Access to environmental information, empowered by legislation, involves citizens in decision-making. Legislation on public participation for the protection of the environment plays a crucial role in ensuring that communities, stakeholders, and individuals have a say in environmental decision-making processes to achieve net-zero goals. Translating legal frameworks into community engagement remains challenging. Using The Green Planet AR Experience as a case study, this research applies a community engagement model to assess the role of augmented reality in encouraging participation. The findings suggest that embodied multisensory engagement enables participants to become co-creators of environmental experiences, potentially deepening their brand connections. This research demonstrates how immersive technologies can inform environmental governance through community co-creation. This article is published in the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing for Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’, edited by Jing Zhao, Eirini Gallou, and Ievgeniia Kopytsia.
9 June 2026