Gender distribution among gamers is fairly equal between women and men.¹ The distribution in the Swedish games industry is not, with only 21.4% being women in 2021.² Contrary to what the numbers suggest, we think everyone should have equal opportunities to reach positions of influence in the industry.
To make Kinda Brave a more attractive workplace for women, non-binary as well as any other gender or gender expression, we’ve taken steps to become LGBTQI Certified. This is aimed at increasing inclusivity and a sense of safety. We’ve also implemented an anonymous whistleblowing system and are collaborating with DONNA to inspire more women to pursue a career in games.
Every click. Every line of code. Every gosh darn cup of coffee. Almost everything we do leaves an impact on the planet in the form of greenhouse gas emissions, a so-called carbon footprint. As a business, it can be hard to course-correct a ship that’s been sailing in a certain direction for decades. But it’s easier if you get off on the right foot. Such as picking renewable energy or being choosy with suppliers from the start.
That’s not enough though. The majority of Kinda Brave’s footprint will come from people playing our games across the world. We’re accountable for all emissions whether they’re direct or indirect. To compensate, we’re offsetting. This means calculating our total carbon footprint, measured in CO2. Then, we contribute a corresponding amount of funding to sustainable projects around the world with a positive impact.
Climate compensation is not a perfect system. Relying too heavily on compensations could be a form of greenwashing. Meaning, posing as more environmentally friendly than you really are. Until we’re able to run our business in a climate neutral way without compensation, there’s always going to be room for us to be better.
In 2021, our group's total carbon footprint measured 90 metric tons, of which Ember Trail stood for 67 metric tons, and we decided to offset 100 metric tons. Ember Trail is to date the largest studio of the group and the only one with a prior game release (Main Assembly). This causes the studio to have a different major source of emissions compared to the others, as 67 % of the footprint came from players. Coming in second was electricity and heating, at 11 % each.
For calculations and more in-depth data, see our sustainability report for 2021 here.
Kinda Brave is collaborating with RFSL to become the world’s first LGBTQI Certified games company. Why? Because gaming and the industry are for everyone. This way, please, to read all about it. Us being first is not the important part here, naturally, but we hope to inspire others by Making It a Thing.
To get certified, 80% of Kinda Brave’s employees must have gone through inclusivity training with RFSL. All current employees at Kinda Brave Publishing are, since February 2022, on a six-month journey to become certified. The management teams of our studios Ember Trail, Dinomite and Tic Tek Toe have also joined in.
When anyone picks up a game from Kinda Brave, we want them to know it’s playable. We’re out to become a trusted publisher among people with disabilities. That’s why we’re appointing Accessibility Champions to Kinda Brave Publishing. Here, feast your eyes on how we’re approaching it!
In addition to undergoing AbleGamers’ APX Certification, each Accessibility Champion will commit to further training coordinated by the Producer and Head of Game Quality in the publishing team.
Ember Trail is scheduled for certification in October 2022.