The Celsius Game: an experiential activity on management education simulating the complex challenges for the two-degree climate change target

Abstract

As efforts for the sustainable development agenda evolve within the context of UN's Global Compact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the field of management education presents its own challenges. From an educational heritage of fragmentation, traditional methods seem insufficient to deal with complex issues such as Climate Change. In the face of this challenge, games have been described as effective learning tools for sustainable development education in general and Climate Change in particular. Although many games with this purpose have been identified, few provide a systemic approach. The purpose of this article is to present the case of Celsius – The 2 Degree Challenge, a board game designed to engage business students and leaders in the climate change discussion by combining different mechanisms that aim to demonstrate the topic in its complexity. Qualitative data from the authors' participant observations and teaching notes, and a survey with 22 graduate students, provide insights into: (i) the importance of games for sustainable development education; and (ii) lessons learned from the Celsius Game, including the elements that help show students the functioning of Climate Change as a complex system, the importance of collaboration and the presence of implicit motivations and values. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd