Coldplay’s ‘eco’ travel plan linked to oil firm

COLDPLAY have been branded “useful idiots for greenwashing” after joining forces with an oil company to reduce the band’s carbon footprint.

The group, fronted by Chris Martin, last week announced they had entered into a partnership with Neste, a Finnish-based oil firm, as part of efforts to halve its emissions while on tour.

The company proclaims to be the largest producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel in the world but its palm oil suppliers have previously faced accusations of widespread deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Carlos Calvo Ambel, a senior director of the Transport and Environment campaign group, said: “Neste is cynically using Coldplay to greenwash its reputation. This is a company that is linked to the kind of deforestation that would appal Chris Martin and his fans.

“It’s not too late, they should drop their partnership with Neste now and focus on truly clean solutions instead.”

A statement from the band, which has had hits with Fix You, Paradise and Yellow, said: “When we announced this tour, we said that we would try our best to make it as sustainable and low carbon-impact as possible, but that it would be a work in progress.

“That remains true. We don’t claim to have got it all right yet. Before we appointed Neste as supplier of these biofuel products, we received their guarantee that they do not use any virgin materials in their production – most especially not palm oil.”

Hanna Leijala, a spokesman for Neste, said: “For our collaboration with Coldplay, conventional palm oil was not used as a raw material.”