New recommendations have been put forward by scientists at the University of Manchester to reduce the music industry’s overall carbon footprint, including swapping jets for trains and offering free transport with tickets.
If you live in the UK, you’ve likely seen a constant wave of Instagram stories from friends and colleagues at music festivals this summer.
Some parts of the world are now finally able to enjoy live gigs again after eighteen months of nothing but streaming and Zoom listening parties – but how does the industry’s climate footprint stack up as it re-opens?
While it’s not as bad as other areas of entertainment and recreation, the music business still produces a ton of carbon emissions. The most recent study in the UK was over a decade ago, where the industry was found to be pumping out 540,000 tons of CO2 annually.
You can bet your Glastonbury tickets that it will have risen significantly since, suggesting that urgent action is needed if nations hope to reach their carbon neutral goals.
Scientists at the University of Manchester have put together new recommendations to help reduce the emissions produced by music festivals and gigs, creating a roadmap that they hope will be adopted by most artists.
The study is focused largely on musicians, promoters, tour managers, and agents, and doesn’t cover the carbon cost of CDs, streaming, and vinyl.
These are still important aspects of the industry that deserve your time and attention in equal measure, mind, and we’ve spoken on the topic before on our YouTube channel. Watch the video below.
So, what are the new guidelines? Suggestions include changing how artists move around, where they play, and the means in which fans get to gigs.
Most of the tips here are fairly common sense – though a few you may not have considered before. Here is the full list:
Plan tour routes in a way that minimises travel and transport
Include travel by public transport in the ticket price
Generate renewable energy on site, e.g. solar panels
Gig and concert venues should use renewable energy
Use energy efficient lighting and sound equipment
Use electric vehicles and trains to travel between venues
Better bike storage at music venues
Avoiding flying and eliminating private jets
Perform at venues that are taking action to reduce their building energy use
Offer incentives to fans who choose to travel by public transport
While none of this is ground-breaking or controversial, having a greater emphasis on storage facilities for things like bikes and hiking could help encourage fans to travel more eco-consciously, and bring local people to events instead of carting around on trains.
Incentives with ticket purchases could be a great way forward, too.
Including greener travel options with pricing, perhaps paying a discount if you prove you’ve cycled, and getting sponsorship deals from energy efficient brands could all help contribute to lowering the industry’s carbon footprint.
The study also suggested that a central independent body be appointed to track and monitor progress, with ‘clearly defined measurable targets’.
Crowds aside, pressure should be placed on artists who use private jets and don’t consider efficient tech – it can’t all be up to fans who travel.
It will be up to the industry at large to take on board these recommendations and get serious about the climate emergency. We’ll have to see in the next few years what happens – and crucially if more public pressure mounts to make the required changes.
I’m Charlie (He/Him), a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. As a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
Full disclaimer: I’m no scientist. I’m a journalist trying to understand the logic behind measuring earthquakes logarithmically – meaning each whole number increase represents a quake that is 10x stronger – when this isn’t intuitive to the public. Shouldn’t we measure them out of 100 instead?
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