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En-ROADS is a climate change simulation that allows users to explore how different policies and actions could address temperature increase by 2100. It has been designed by Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan and is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, and draws on a series of equations, and a few external datasets. It is regularly updated and tweaked to incorporate the latest research. En-ROADs can be accessed here: https://www.climateinteractive.org/en-roads/  Figure 1: The En-ROADS simulator provides a user friendly interface that allows students to easily access basic functionality. Introductory activities and basics Simulation - Basic level - Exploring policy changes on Global Temperature increases At the most simple level, students can explore how changes in six key policy areas: Energy Supply, Transport, Buildings and Industry, Growth, Carbon Dioxide Removal and Other Sources of Greenhouse Gas can impact on aspects of climate change. Students can make changes along each of the sliders on the simulator home page, and the consequences of those changes are displayed in the two main graphs displayed at the top of the page: Global Sources of Primary Energy, and consequently Global Temperature Change. In the first phases of exploring the En-ROADS simulation, students can work in small groups with a focus on a policy theme. Students can undertake research to investigate the theme and its impact on climate change, providing an overview for the class as an introduction. In their policy groups students can explore how changes to policy in their policy area can positively impact on projected Temperature increase by 2100. Students can simply move the slider along the scales to see the impact on the corresponding graphs.  Figure 2: In the example above, the levels of carbon dioxide removal for both Nature-based removal and Technological removal have been increased to the highest level. This results in an overall decline in Temperature increase by 2100 by 1% (increase is at 3.2 degrees celsius rather than 3.3). Class activity: Introduction - Policy Theme Group work Climate change research In groups of no more than 4, investigate a policy theme selected from - Energy Supply, - Transport, - Buildings and Industry, - Growth, - Carbon Dioxide Removal, or - Other Sources of Greenhouse Gas (Agricultural emissions, Waste and Leakage and Deforestation). Research how different policies, initiatives and case studies around the world attempt to address climate change. Provide a brief presentation and one page summary of the policy theme for your class. Basic En-ROADS Simulation In your group, provide a summary of suggested policy changes in your selected policy area that could have positive impacts on climate change projections. Class Collation As a class, collate a range of different policy changes that could reduce the impacts of climate change. Extended response Explain a how a range of policy themes related to climate change mitigation that could impact on the rate and magnitude of change. En-ROADS Supporting Resources
The En-ROADS website contains a range of supporting resources that teachers can use to support student learning while taking part in a simulation. These include both PowerPoint presentations and handouts, that support learning about the concept of climate change in general, case studies and benefits of different combinations of climate change solutions working together to multiply impact. Syllabus Links: The En-ROADs simulation provides an excellent, practical student-centred learning activity for students to engage in Study 3: Climate Change, of the Human-Environments Interaction for Preliminary Geography. This post has been cross-posted on the Powerful Geography Authors' Blog. A longer, more detailed version of this article will be available in the upcoming Geography Bulletin.
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