Before the pandemic struck, tours and festivals were known for the excessive waste they created, and the huge carbon footprint massive tours and events produced. In addition, streaming services also require immense processing power, contributing to the damage of the environment. That is why, taking advantage of this forced pause, the British collective Music Declares Emergency has coordinated a series of announcements stating that the music industry is not considering the massive issue of climate change as much as it should.
The main question this group considers is: can the restart post-pandemic be green? ‘The music industry has the opportunity to lead here,’ Lewis Jamieson, a spokesman for Music Declares Emergency, states. ‘It can become the exemplar of a green recovery, and help the public to understand and support what that idea means’. Indeed, British label Ninja Tune and other indie labels such as 4AD, XL and Rough Trade announced major carbon reduction commitments, with Ninja Tune having recently announced an extremely detailed plan responding to European Independent Music Companies Association’s sustainability drive.
Another central idea announced this week, and affiliated with Brian Eno, is Earth Percent. This initiative is aiming at collecting around £72m by 2030 from the music industry itself to transition completely to a green and sustainable business. The proposal includes artists, companies and freelancers: by giving a small percentage to Earth Percent, they will then redistribute the profit to organisations focusing on climate change, including those focused on the music industry such as A Greener Festival.
‘This is the time to shake up how things are done across the industry,’ says the head of programs at Earth Percent, Sarah Ditty. ‘We need to be looking at how live shows, touring, recording, streaming, merchandise and engaging fans can function in a way that ensures artists and their teams can make a good living while minimising environmental impact.’
Artists of the calibre of Coldplay, Radiohead and Ellie Goulding have already spoken about climate change, adjusting the way they work not to foster this crisis.
