Verdant City /

Optional CO₂ awareness

A growing city.
A clearer picture.

Discover how energy, buildings and transport shape your city’s estimated emissions. Experiment with a different approach, one connection at a time.

Explore climate policies How the estimate works ↓
Actual Verdant City gameplay showing wind turbines, solar farms and the optional CO₂e indicator
Actual gameplay · Wind and solar connected to a growing city

More than a number

See what changes.
Understand why.

The CO₂ indicator appears beside your city resources. Open the climate panel for a breakdown, or inspect a building to see its estimated emissions.

Energy & buildings

Connected generation influences your local electricity mix. Heating, development and industrial activity also contribute to the estimate.

Travel & freight

Estimates follow your city’s development and working transport services. They are based on travel needs, rather than the decorative cars visible on screen.

Woodland & parks

Established trees add a small estimated annual absorption benefit. It complements cleaner power and transport; it does not replace them.

A population-aware indicator

The game compares estimated annual emissions per resident with three planning benchmarks. Text labels accompany the colors.

On targetUp to 2 t / resident / yearElevatedOver 2 to 5 t / resident / yearHighOver 5 t / resident / year

These are game benchmarks, not universal scientific safe limits. Estimates use tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) and represent a year at your city’s current development, not a lifetime total.

Different choices. Different tradeoffs.

Try a greener
city policy.

Four optional policies let you explore the relationship between emissions, the city budget and electricity demand. Each starts switched off.

EV support

Support electric travel with grants and charging. In the model, 40% of private car travel becomes electric.

What to plan for

Monthly cost and more home/shop electricity demand. Cars still use the roads, and charging emissions depend on their grid.

Efficiency retrofits

Improve insulation, lighting and equipment. The model reduces building electricity and heating needs by 20%.

What to plan for

Monthly cost, with lower building electricity demand. Existing homes and businesses become more efficient.

Heat-pump programme

Move 60% of home and shop gas heating to heat pumps in the model.

What to plan for

Monthly cost and more home/shop electricity demand. The estimated benefit depends on your electricity mix.

Electric bus fleet

Electrify passenger travel on operating bus routes. Pair the fleet with cleaner electricity.

What to plan for

Monthly cost and extra depot electricity demand. You still need connected stops and a working transit depot.

Curiosity, without obligation

Your city.
Your choice.

The indicator itself does not penalize city growth. Climate policies are voluntary and can affect your budget and electricity needs.

Turn CO₂ awareness off in Settings to hide the display and building estimates, and suspend those climate-policy costs and electricity adjustments. Your policy choices are retained if you turn it back on.

Download on the App Store

About the estimates

This is an educational game model, not a measured or complete carbon footprint. It includes electricity, heating, an industrial allowance, private cars, freight, public transport and estimated tree absorption.

It excludes construction, vehicle manufacturing, waste methane, long-distance aviation and shipping, food and imported goods. Airport and port estimates cover the facilities, not international travel.

Generation uses published lifecycle reference factors; travel, activity and tree uptake also use simplified game assumptions. CO₂e includes greenhouse gases expressed as a carbon-dioxide equivalent.

References used by the game model

Read the method and sources inside City management → Climate.

Start with the city you imagine.

Then see where your next choice takes it.

Back to the game