CARD CALCULATIONS
Are you curious about how we have calculated the emissions for individual cards? Here, you can explore the calculations for a selection of cards in the most recent edition of the game (released in 2024), in detail. The cards are sorted by category.
You will also find the answers to some frequently asked questions. If something is unclear, or if you have a question about a specific card, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@climatecallgame.com. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible!
To calculate the emission figures on the cards, we have used a calculation model developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Most data used in the calculations come from scientific articles, reports from authorities and research institutions, and statistical databases. In the calculation explanations (click on each category), you can find more information about the references we have used and the assumptions we have made. Additionally, under “Reference List,” you will find a selection of the most important sources.
In some cases, the calculations are based on educated estimates and reasonable assumptions. All calculations are based on the most up-to-date data available, and the accuracy of the calculated emissions has been validated by comparing them with other published figures.
The game has been created with the ambition to estimate the largest greenhouse gas emissions associated with each product or activity to enable reasonable comparisons between the cards. For example, emissions from manufacturing have only been included when they are considered a significant portion of the total emissions. This means, for instance, that emissions from aircraft manufacturing are not included in the calculations of emissions from flights.
In general, we have only considered direct greenhouse gas emissions and have excluded indirect emissions and other indirect impacts on the climate. This is because indirect effects are considerably more uncertain and challenging to estimate. An exception is the indirect climate impact from high-altitude flying aircraft, known as the high-altitude effect, which is included in all editions published year 2021 and later.
The emission values can be considered to be reasonably accurate, and the orders of magnitude to be correct, which is the most important aspect for comparing the cards. However, the numbers should not be considered as exact. This is because there is a wide range of possible values for several of the parameters used in the calculations (such as the temperature of hot water or how much fuel a car consumes). Additionally, there are uncertainties in the calculations due to complexities in the global climate system, making it challenging to precisely estimate all effects.
In most cases, we have used averages or “typical values” in the calculations, in order to make the emission values as representative as possible. The emission values on the cards have also been rounded. Therefore, they should not be regarded as precise and absolute values, but rather as approximate and average.
A couple of cards in the game represent activities with negative emissions. This doesn’t mean that the levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere are decreasing. Instead, it means that additional emissions can be avoided. The numbers on the cards represent the difference in emissions between two alternative scenarios, and the minus sign in front of the numbers indicates that it represents a potential for savings.