Exploring the Rebound Effect Through a New Board Game: A low-tech Pedagogical Innovation

This session presents an innovative, low-tech board game designed to deepen students’ understanding of the rebound effect—a pivotal concept in ecological economics. The rebound effect describes how efficiency improvements can paradoxically lead to increased resource consumption, complicating efforts toward ecological transition. This concept is crucial to understand the limitations of techno-centric solutions in tackling ecological crises, and how the growth imperative can wipe out the supposed gains from better use of our natural resources. Through a board game where players act as producers aiming to maximize their profits while contending with resource constraints and efficiency improvements, students actively engage with the challenges of experiencing and mitigating the rebound effect. This immersive activity enhances students’ appreciation of the complexities of sustainability within economic systems while also strengthening their ability to propose concrete actions to address these challenges.