How to play your part in climate change challenge with city building game

CLIMATE CHALLENGE: Wayne Willis, innovation consultant at Edenic Group, and Diana Taylor, managing director of Marketing Humber, playing Mytopia – Green City Builder

A new city building simulation game is being used to highlight the devastating impact carbon emissions have on the environment ahead of a pioneering climate change summit.

The retro-style MyTopia - Green City Builder game has been launched by Marketing Humber as part of The Waterline Summit 2020 to show how the choices people make impact upon their immediate and wider surroundings.

The week-long summit will begin on October 19 and bring together businesses, community groups, colleges and schools to position the Humber at the forefront of the global transition to a zero-carbon future.

Following the inaugural The Waterline Summit last year, Marketing Humber is staging this year’s free event online, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The immersive digital summit will feature leading names from the fields of media, business and finance, as well as sustainability experts.

People across the region are being urged to play the new game to enhance their awareness of the impact of global warming. Players can submit their scores, which will be displayed on a live leaderboard throughout the summit.

Diana Taylor, Managing Director of Marketing Humber, said: “MyTopia is a fantastic way for people across the region to join the fight against climate change.

“It highlights, in an enjoyable way, how our everyday decisions impact on the environment and how we can all play our part by making changes in our lives.

“It is absolutely vital the region is united on this issue, and this is one way we are bringing people together.”

Developed by local companies Edenic Group and Clay10, Mytopia allows players to build their own city with their answers to a series of multiple choice questions.

Players are asked to consider carbon footprint, economic prosperity, employment, wildlife and health and wellbeing in the choices they make. Players will be scored on how their choices contribute to creating a sustainable future.

Wayne Willis, innovation consultant at Edenic Group, the summit’s Innovation Partner, said: “We hope that, by getting people to play the game, we can encourage awareness and help stimulate conversation about decarbonisation and the Humber’s role in creating a zero-carbon economy.

“We’re asking people to play the game themselves, and encourage children to as well, to help understand the part we all play in this crucial challenge.”

The Waterline Summit 2020 aims to position the region at the forefront of the global transition to a zero-carbon economic model.

Held in partnership with the University of Hull and Yorkshire Water, it will build on the growing momentum across the estuary to embrace pioneering technologies, attract significant investment and create jobs in a green economy.

It will focus on the five “grand challenges” the world faces in tackling climate change – electricity and energy, agriculture, manufacturing and industry, transport, and buildings and people.

The summit will include a virtual conference centre, including a lobby, networking lounge, exhibition hall and auditorium, hosted on the vFairs platform.

It will be a fully immersive experience, with attendees able to browse exhibition stands and attend talks and panel discussions.

SUMMIT: Diana Taylor and Wayne Willis

High-profile speakers will include Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England; David Shukman, Science Editor of BBC News; Mark England, Team GB’s Director of Sport Services and Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 (now rescheduled to 2021); and award-winning CNBC journalist and presenter Nadine Dereza.

There will also be opportunities for schools, colleges and communities to share ideas and best practice, as well as learning about current and future career paths opened up by the region embracing a sustainable future.

The free event is being staged in partnership with Marketing Humber’s network of Bondholder businesses and organisations and is open to everyone.

Along with Edenic as Innovation Partner, it is being supported by Tech Partner, Res Digital; Education Partner, Humber Outreach Programme (HOP); and Community Partner, Active Humber.

The Waterline Summit is the headline event of The Waterline campaign, launched by Marketing Humber and the University of Hull to bring together partners from the worlds of industry, academia and research and development to pioneer decarbonisation solutions.

It will highlight how climate change is a significant threat to the Humber but is also its greatest opportunity because the region can build on its strong industrial base and existing green credentials to attract significant investment and create jobs in a green growth economy.

• The Waterline Summit 2020 takes place from Monday, October 19, to Friday, October 23. The schedule for the week is as follows:

• Monday, October 19, 9am-5pm: Adaptation and Resilience Day, sponsored by Yorkshire Energy Park.

• Tuesday, October 20, 9am-5pm: Clean Growth Day, sponsored by Phillips 66.

• Wednesday, October 21, 9am-5pm: Nature-Based Solutions Day, sponsored by Bishop Burton College.

• Thursday, October 22, 9am-5pm: International Business Day, including a national business leaders panel discussion, sponsored by SSE Thermal.

• Friday, October 23, 9am-12pm: Sustainable Financing Day, sponsored by HSBC UK.

The exhibition and debate are free to attend. To register and see full event details, go to https://thewaterlinesummit2020.vfairs.com

MyTopia is available online now. To play, and submit your score to the summit, visit https://www.mytopiagame.co.uk/