NOVEMBER 2024
Power and Planet
Lessons from a Climate and Trade Tabletop Exercise
By Joseph Majkut, Guillaume Ferlet, and William Reinsch
Introduction
In July 2024, CSIS’s Enery Security and Climate Change Program, in collaboration with the Scholl Chair
in International Business, hosted a one-day trade and climate simulation game titled Power and Planet.
The focus was on how players representing key nations make decisions at the intersection of climate
and trade policy to reduce emissions, boost economic opportunity, and ensure security.
The game explored the geopolitical and economic dynamics that arise when a bloc of developed
countries establishes a climate club. Will such a club drive greater global cooperation on emissions as it
expands, or will it trigger trade wars, creating a bleaker outlook for long-term climate outcomes? How
do economic, environmental, geopolitical, or security considerations shape players’ priorities?
This report documents the game and how participants navigated the one-day simulation. It outlines the
game’s setup, turn-by-turn progression, and key takeaways for policymakers. Additionally, the authors
examine the game’s limitations and propose areas for further research.
Game Structure and Rules
Each player was assigned to one of three teams: G7+ (representing the Group of Seven countries along
with Australia and South Korea), China, or emerging markets. Each player assumed the role of a
government leader tasked with achieving their country’s ambitions for climate, economics, and security.
Twenty-ve experts from the climate and trade communities participated, representing a diverse mix of
academic and civil society institutions, private companies, foreign embassies, and trade associations.
During the game, each participant represented a country or, in the case of China, a political or
administrative entity. The three teams were as follows:
▪ G7+ team. Each of the 11 participants represented each G7 country (except Italy), Australia,
and South Korea. The U.S. delegation had three players, acting as the president, the special
