How to Host a GARP Climate & Nature Risk Scenario Game

As organizations across the financial and real economies grapple with the evolving challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, there is a growing need to engage teams in ways that not only build knowledge but also spark deeper understanding, debate, and action. GARP’s Climate & Nature Risk Scenario Games are designed to do just that (free download available here).

These interactive, boardroom-style, role-play events place your audience in the hot seat as decision makers at fictional multinational companies — navigating a series of realistic, complex dilemmas around climate- and nature-related risks.

Perfect for team away days, workshops, conferences, or internal training sessions, the games offer a structured, dynamic experience, blending education, strategy, and storytelling in a thought-provoking way.

Who Are the Scenario Games For?

These Scenario Games are for anyone with an interest in understanding the complexities of climate and nature risk. They work for professionals at any level, across sectors — from financial services and real economy firms, to regulators, consultants, students and beyond.

Participants roleplay as the board of a fictional firm in a real economy sector (for example, a global food producer), and the risks and dilemmas explored have broad relevance across industries. Whether your organization is navigating ESG reporting, climate strategy, investment decision-making or supply-chain resilience, there will be useful, broadly applicable lessons in the scenarios for you.

The format is also highly scalable: The games work well for small teams of three to 10 people, but have also been deployed successfully in sessions with hundreds of participants.

What Will You and Your Audience Get Out of It?

From a learning perspective, the Scenario Games are a powerful tool to help audiences:

• Understand the interconnections between climate- and nature-related risks.
• Explore the non-linear and compounding impacts of decisions made over time.
• Reflect on the tensions between short-term pressures and long-term goals.
• See how climate and nature risks intersect with strategic, reputational, operational and legal risks.
• Recognize the value of early action, systems thinking and resilient decision-making.
• Appreciate the importance of credible planning, transparency and stakeholder alignment.

As a host, you’ll be guiding participants through dilemmas drawn from actual business contexts, helping to stimulate discussion and insight. Audience members will leave with a better understanding of the real-world implications of climate and nature risks, as well as the competing pressures organizations face when trying to address them.

What’s Included in the Scenario Game Pack?

When you download the Scenario Games pack, you’ll receive four complete scenario games, each focused on a different risk theme:

• Transition Risk
• Physical Risk
• Reaching Net Zero
• Nature Risk

Each scenario includes:

• A slide deck with engaging narrative, embedded videos and decision points
• A full script with detailed speaker notes for each slide
• Expert panel videos offering board-level, investor, legal and sustainability insights
• A guidance document with timings, facilitation tips and background on the company and dilemmas

These materials are designed for you to run a live session either in person or online, lasting approximately 90–120 minutes, depending on the game.

How to Host a Scenario Game Session

You don’t need to be a climate expert to run one of these events. If you’re comfortable facilitating a workshop or team session, you already have what it takes. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

Event Structure

Each scenario game unfolds as a journey through four dilemmas that the board of a fictional company must navigate. After each dilemma, participants vote on one of two possible courses of action. Following the vote, they watch a short video featuring expert reflections on the consequences of the chosen path.

A typical session includes:

• A short introduction and warm-up poll
• Four dilemma presentations, each followed by a live vote and video reflection
• A closing discussion or Q&A

Voting

Votes can be collected in several ways, depending on the format:

• In Person: Use a simple show of hands or digital polling software
• Online: Use built-in polling tools in Zoom, Teams, or Webex, or an external polling platform

The goal isn’t precision — it’s about encouraging people to make decisions and reflect on their implications.

Five Tips for Hosting

1. Familiarize yourself with the scenario and script in advance.
2. Plan your voting method based on audience size and setting.
3. Encourage active participation and allow time for discussion after each dilemma.
4. Use the expert videos to provide depth and reinforce key messages.
5. If time allows, end with a group reflection on what the audience learned.

Final Thoughts

GARP’s Climate & Nature Scenario Games are more than just a learning tool — they’re a conversation starter and a way to make complex risks tangible. They invite people to think beyond their day-to-day work and see how environmental challenges intersect with everything from supply chains to shareholder returns.

Whether you’re running a strategy offsite, leading an ESG workshop, or looking to inspire your team, the Scenario Games offer a ready-made format for immersive, educational, engagement.

All four of our scenario games, covering physical risk, transition risk, net-zero alignment and nature risk can be downloaded here.

For more information or any questions, please contact RiskInstitute@garp.com.

Please note that the Scenario Game resources are for internal educational use only and may not be used for commercial purposes.

Tim Walton is a Vice President at the GARP Risk Institute specializing in sustainability and climate risk. His work spans research, program management and content production.