Read an excerpt from Rovio’s 2023 Sustainability Report to learn more about the actions Rovio has taken towards sustainability in 2023, and get all of the details in the full report.
Rovio made great progress in their commitment to sustainability in 2023, with actions in the three focus areas: safe and responsible gaming, people and society, and climate and environment. Get a summary of everything in the Message from Chief Sustainability Officer, Heini Kaihu – an excerpt from the full report, which can be found here.
Message from Chief Sustainability Officer
In our commitment to societal and environmental responsibility, the positive pressure to act responsibly and make progress emanates from all directions. Our players expect us to uphold ethical standards, sustainably produce and operate games, and deliver meaningful, high-quality gaming experiences. The brightest minds in the gaming industry seek employers who respect their values, highlighting the significance of sustainability in attracting and retaining talent. Moreover, with the surge in regulatory pressure and the imperative for business resilience, embracing sustainable practices is not merely beneficial but critical. In 2023, our sustainability work and actions reflected this commitment and pressure.
Our efforts in ‘Safe and Responsible Gaming’ led to the development of the Playbook for Inclusive Game Development and Marketing. This guide, addressing various development areas, e.g., inclusive player research, character design, and game accessibility, supports our teams in creating games that embody our inclusivity values. Alongside the guide, we introduced ‘Cards for Inclusion,’ which offers scenarios and exercises designed to spark conversations about the Playbook topics among teams and individuals. This year, we plan to expand the Playbook’s guidelines and introduce a digital version of the Cards for Inclusion. Both will remain accessible as free resources, enhancing availability and encouraging continuous dialogue and growth across the game developer community and beyond.
In ‘People and Society,’ we focused on strengthening feedback culture and personal growth and development by training supervisors and all Rovians to discuss personal growth and development and providing teams with a new tool to examine and measure employee engagement and wellbeing on a team level.
To better understand how different groups experience the workplace, we conducted a robust DEI survey and then updated our employee survey to mirror the ‘inclusion gaps’ in the survey to track progress regularly.
We continued to upskill ourselves with DEI coaching to senior leaders, inclusive leadership trainings for supervisors, game leads, and producers, and thematic trainings open to all employees on topics ranging from allyship and Pride to neurodiversity. Our employee-driven DEI Working Group spearheaded numerous initiatives, demonstrating our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We also joined Better Games Together (BGT), a collective of Finnish game studios that share the goal of making our companies, as well as the wider industry, more accepting of LGBTQIA+ people.
On the climate and environmental front, collaborating with partners committed to emission reductions is a key element in minimizing the negative impacts on the environment. Through Playing for the Planet’s decarbonization group, Rovio contributed to creating two valuable resources: A Drawdown-Aligned Framework for the Gaming Industry provides real-life examples of how gaming companies can fight the climate crisis. In late 2023, an important milestone was reached when Untangling the Carbon Complexities of the Video Gaming Industry guide was published. The guide clarifies the gaming industry’s current status on climate action. It provides valuable insights into overcoming the complexity of emissions accounting and the common barriers preventing climate action.
We organized multiple inspiring sustainability-themed events for our players, including participating in the annual Green Game Jam.
Rovio’s ambition for sustainability extends beyond mere compliance. By integrating safe and responsible gaming practices, nurturing our employee community, and prioritizing climate action, we aim to lead by example in the gaming industry, working with our industry peers. Our journey is ongoing, and through our collective efforts, we strive to inspire change, drive innovation, and contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.
