Amidst climate change, music artists are striving to lower carbon emissions on concert tours, partnering with tech players and nonprofits to promote eco-friendly practices.
“Heal the world. Make it a better place. For you and for me, and the entire human race.”
Lines from the late American singer Michael Jackson’s sixth single from his eighth studio album, Dangerous.
Navigating modern life often involves grappling with inherent contradictions.
This realization strikes me as I opt for a locally sourced organic juice, (and I choose to buy environment friendly products too) only to board a flight bound for Delhi that will contribute a substantial 100 KG of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere.
Have I relinquished air travel altogether?
The quandary persists: The act of travel is a complex blend of desire and indulgence, entwined with various considerations. Evaluating one’s carbon footprint becomes tricky, particularly when professional obligations necessitate frequent journeys between cities or countries.
Musicians are one such lot. Over the years they have been increasingly relying on tours to generate revenue. Global tours have always been a hit with fans.
Live music is a wonderful and uplifting experience, but it also has a negative impact on the environment.
A band and their gear need to travel across the world, the musicians and staff need food and lodging, and the instruments and amps need power — not to mention the lights and sound systems that create the atmosphere at the shows.
And when the music ends, the fans leave a mountain of garbage – from aluminum beer cans to fragments of bottle glass and plastic.
As per reports, live music in the UK alone releases 405 million kilograms of carbon dioxide every year. Big music concerts can create up to 100,000 kilograms of solid waste in a day!
The live music industry influences the hearts and minds of people around the world. It offers an amazing opportunity to inspire and inform on how we can all “make the world a better place.”
Musicians push for change
Over the last few years, a growing number of musicians are using their celebrity status to cast a spotlight on climate change, pollution, and other environmental concerns.
Popular British rock band Coldplay provides a regular update on its sustainability initiatives in their “Music of the Spheres” World Tour that began in March 2022.
Their sustainability report reveals remarkable achievements, including a 47% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to their previous stadium tour in 2016-17. Moreover, they have diverted a significant 66% of tour waste away from landfills and planted 5 million trees, each representing a concert attendee, with support from One Tree Planted. Coldplay also planted one million trees to offset their 2019 album Everyday Life.
Coldplay’s commitment to renewable energy is evident as they power the show’s production with an electric battery system fueled by 100% renewable energy.
Furthermore, Coldplay’s dedication extends to generating power sustainably within the venues, utilizing in-venue solar installations, kinetic dance floors, and power bikes. This generates an average of 15kWh of power per show, sufficient to fuel the C-stage performance nightly and provide charging stations for the crew’s devices. It partnered with SAP on the development of a free tour app that encourages fans to use low carbon transport to and from shows. The app allows fans to log their mode of transportation to concerts, with a goal of pushing them to use ‘greener’ mode of transportation.
The band’s impact transcends entertainment, as they have donated 3,770 meals and 73 kg of toiletries from tour catering to support unhoused and unsheltered individuals. Their involvement with environmental organizations, such as ClientEarth, The Ocean Cleanup, Climeworks, and others, demonstrates their commitment to fostering positive change beyond the music scene. For more information, see coldplay.com/emissions-update
Massive Attack, an English trip-hop collective band, has engaged in collaborative efforts with environmental organizations and nonprofits to mitigate their environmental impact. Among these collaborations is their association with REVERB, an initiative co-founded by Adam Gardner, a guitarist from the band Guster, and Lauren Sullivan, an environmental activist and organizer.
REVERB is dedicated to assisting musicians in achieving carbon neutrality or reducing their climate footprint. Since its inception in 2004, REVERB’s partnerships have yielded substantial outcomes, including the prevention of over 4 million single-use bottles at concerts and the reduction of emissions equivalent to 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide. For example, the band Pearl Jam partnered with REVERB to eliminate single-use plastic at their 2018 tour.
Navigating through the website of Jack Johnson, the Grammy-nominated musical maestro, offers more than just concert schedules and melodious visuals. Amidst the melodies, a distinctive label beckons – “Greening.” With a rhythm that harmonizes with sustainability, Jack Johnson has orchestrated his own environmental symphony. Beyond the chords, you’ll discover his efforts in sweeping away litter from sun-kissed shores, orchestrating Earth Day jubilations, and conducting a melodious call for his fans to contribute to a harmonious cause – safeguarding rivers through a nonprofit alliance.
Composer and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum toured the West Coast on his bicycle in 2014.
Gojira, a metal band from France uses its music to challenge the climate crisis and raise awareness about environmental issues. They have composed songs about the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, the preservation of marine life, and the need for civil resistance against the authorities that are neglecting to protect nature. They have also given the earnings from their single Amazonia to a charity that supports indigenous tribes in the Amazon. The band’s music is a form of environmental activism that motivates people to change the world.
India’s ‘green’ musicians
In India, homegrown musicians are embracing eco-conscious practices as they prepare for concerts and events.
Ricky Kej, a multi-Grammy award-winning artist and environmental advocate, stands out in this effort. He diligently assesses his carbon footprint and collaborates with reforestation and renewable organizations to offset it. Kej creatively employs his music to engage audiences in discussions about environmental concerns and sustainable lifestyles. His compositions center on themes like land, water, and the climate crisis, effectively blending art with activism to raise awareness about pressing ecological issues.
Aditi Veena, aka Ditty, is a unique blend of an independent musician and an urban ecologist. Through her music, she initiates and sustains dialogues on critical subjects like climate change, Earth’s preservation, and gender inequality. As an architect, she undertakes conservation ventures aimed at leaving a positive and enduring impact on the environment.
In 2020, Ditty embarked on a journey called “Make Forests Not War,” a carbon-neutral tour where she planted native trees to offset the carbon emissions from her tours. Termed as “earth songs,” her music encompasses topics like endangered species and the tragic plight of sharks, as exemplified in her composition “Eulogy for a Sparrow.
Three decades have passed since Billy Joel released his hit single “We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning since the world’s been turning,” a song that chronicled cultural and historical events from 1949 to 1989.
It’s good to see a few instances of how musicians are taking action to prevent the ‘fire’ and make the world a better place. They are using their influence and creativity to raise awareness, inspire change, and support solutions for the environmental challenges we face.
