Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced its participation in the Playing for the Planet Alliance to further its going green initiatives. The alliance, launched 23 September 2019 during the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, as facilitated by UN Environment, sees member companies make commitments ranging from integrating green activations in games, to reducing their emissions and waste, and supporting the global environmental agenda.
With this, Bandai Namco Entertainment is putting forward a four prong approach to improving business practices and promotion of a green mindset through video game products, to be reviewed and planned to accelerate yearly. These include:
- A commitment to executing the sustainability policy put forth by its parent company, BANDAI NAMCO Holdings on April 16, 2021. This policy dictates that all BANDAI NAMCO Group companies must reduce carbon emissions by 35% by the year 2030 and be carbon net-zero by 2050.
- BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. participated in the United Nations Environment Program’s Green Game Jam in 2021 with the PAC-MAN mobile app by creating a new in-game event focused on sharing a message about the importance of reforestation. The company has set a goal to engage 1 million players in this event and drive at least 10% of participants to sign an online petition urging world leaders to protect forests as a key line of defense against climate change. The petition can be found here.
- Devise plans for the next in-game event focusing on saving and cleaning the oceans in preparation for the company’s participation in the United Nations Environment Program’s Green Game Jam in 2022.
- Establish BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. as an active advocate and example for our development partners, affiliates, etc. to learn more about the United Nations’ Playing for the Planet Alliance program so they too can implement similar policies and work towards improving the environment within their respective organizations.
“I am very proud of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. in joining the Playing for the Planet Alliance, as one of the first Japanese game publishers/developers. As a company, we are nothing without the support of our customers, as a species, we are nothing without the life sustaining support of our planet. We must act holistically and responsibly in order to improve, protect, and preserve the environment for future generations.”
Yasuo Miyakawa, Chief Executive Officer of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
Besides the Playing for the Planet Alliance, the Bandai Namco Group also has an internal sustainability policy for all group companies to adopt in their respective businesses. The Gundam Recycling Project, currently only available in Japan, encourages Gunpla (Gundam series plastic model kits) builders to drop off any unused plastic model frame sections at amusement facilities operated by the company. These then get recycled with plastic waste from the Gunpla manufacturing process to prevent additional plastic waste from reaching landfills.