Music industry unites to pledge net-zero emissions by 2050
A number of the world’s biggest record labels have united to commit to action on their environmental impact.
The three major labels – Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group – plus independents such as the Beggars and Secretly groups of labels, Warp, Ninja Tune and more, have signed the Music Climate Pact which will see them pledge “actionable climate targets”.
The companies will sign up to one of two existing schemes, Science Based Targets or the SME Climate Commitment, the latter part of the the UN’s Race to Zero initiative. Both schemes require signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, and achieve a 50% reduction by 2030.
Under the terms of the pact, the companies have also pledged to collaborate on measuring carbon emissions in the music industry, to help their artists to speak out on climate issues, and to communicate with artists’ fans about how the music industry impacts on the environment. They will aim to work with streaming companies such as Spotify “to obtain data and drive emission reduction projects in a collaborative fashion”.
Paul Redding, chief executive of Beggars Group (which includes 4AD, XL, Rough Trade and others), said the signatories will be “pulling in the same direction on sustainability topics” to “carry out the same work, in the same way, at the same time”.
The industry is reckoning with issues including the impact of global touring, vinyl manufacturing, and the energy used to power streaming.
In October, Coldplay became one of the highest-profile acts to commit to a reduction in emissions, promising a 50% cut for their forthcoming world tour in comparison with their previous one.