Episode 5: Culture, Ego, and the Environment with UNEP’s Sam Barratt

SHOWNOTES

In this episode I’m joined by United Nations Environment Programme’s Sam Barratt. Not only is he the Chief of the Environmental Education and Youth Unit at UNEP, but also the Co-Founder of Playing for the Planet, the game industry’s collective for climate action. I’ve known Sam since P4P’s inception back in 2020, and I’m so excited to talk to him about all the adventures, wins and losses we’ve gone through in the last four years. We talk about the pursuit of culture change, the importance of scale and systems, the ongoing balancing act of the ego, and how we want to be remembered. Come join us.

About Sam:
Sam Barratt is Chief of the Youth, Education and Advocacy Unit in UNEP’s Ecosystems Division. At UNEP, he founded the Playing for the Planet Alliance, a collaboration with the video gaming industry to nudge gamers’ behaviour and for the industry to use cleaner energy. He also oversees the work on green jobs and green skills, works with the Olympics and other sports on how they can invest in the natural landscapes they depend on and with youth movements such as the scouts and girl guides to unlock their 75 million young people to be agents for change.

Sam’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-barratt-a7946a6/

Playing for the Planet
https://www.playing4theplanet.org/

About Deborah:
Deborah Mensah-Bonsu is the founder of Games for Good, which focuses on harnessing the power of video games and the video game industry for social impact and climate action. She consults for console and mobile studios, NGOs and the United Nations Environment Programme. She thrives on collaborating to create healthier cultures, products and communities and has worked with some of the most influential names in games and entertainment.

Deborah’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-mensah-bonsu/

Find more stories and get in touch:
games-for-good.com/podcast

Host: Deborah Mensah-Bonsu
Producer: Panji Kaonga
Illustration: Jordan Stephensen