Our thinking

It was all green

7 June, 2024

This time last year we wrote about some promising initiatives to make music events more sustainable. So, this week we were happy to hear Coldplay’s announcement they have beaten the emissions reduction targets they set for themselves for their Music of the Spheres world tour.

When the tour was announced in 2021, the band committed to reducing direct carbon emissions (from production, freight, band and crew travel) by at least 50%. Now, Coldplay have announced that initial results from the first two years of the tour show a 59% reduction compared to their previous stadium tour. How have they done it? Some of the savings have come from innovative strategies, like energy-generating kinetic dancefloors and fan-powered bicycles, while others have come from tried-and-true practices like simply taking the train where possible rather than flying.

We’ve entered an era where sustainability has the potential to significantly impact celebrities’ public image – and there is growing recognition of the impact celebrities can have on advancing the cause (or not!)

So we see Taylor Swift being criticised for her sizeable personal carbon footprint stemming from her use of private jets, while the announcement that David Beckham has been appointed as an ambassador for the sustainability-focused King’s Foundation, was greeted with a considerable questioning of his own penchant for private air travel.

Upon announcing their targets, Coldplay admitted that they expected backlash from those who feel that they aren’t going far enough. But the emissions reductions that they have achieved and their transparency in being upfront about the weak spots deserves recognition.

At the end of the day, celebrities wield immense influence. When stars like Coldplay go green (rather than just putting their name against it), they don’t just reduce their own emissions – they contribute to cultural shifts we all need. Encore to that!

By Louise Podmore