“ FEW TEENAGERS HAVE A POSTER OF THEIR FAVOURITE ENVIRONMENTALIST ON THE WALL .”
OPINION
Stretching the imagination of the possible
Mark Stevenson , co-founder and chief impact officer at carbon removals specialists CUR8 looks to a future where artists can stand on stage and promote positive environmental action without being glaringly hypocritical
As soon as I stand on a stage it ’ s hard not to feel like a hypocrite ” – so said one of the world ’ s most famous recording artists to me a few years ago . They weren ’ t talking about an artistic lack of authenticity , but an environmental one . Passionate about the environment , with a back catalogue peppered with songs expressing their concern , they nonetheless felt it impossible to speak directly to their audience about the climate crisis , because their tour was unequivocally a generator of carbon emissions and waste .
UK tours alone account for 85,000 tonnes of annual emissions ; that ’ s just the production , and doesn ’ t include audience travel or venue emissions . UK festivals generate 25,800 tonnes of waste each year . Nearly all industries , thanks to the dysfunctional economic assumptions they serve , are bad for our planet but that ’ s a particularly ugly truth for the one many of us turn to for joy , escapism and meaning . It seems our pleasures really are guilty . But we can ’ t settle for a future where the only way for live music to be environmentally friendly is to cease to exist .
When it comes to solving the problem , artists are understandably the focus for many people , which also makes them easy targets . Coldplay ’ s laudable work in trying to create low-carbon tours , spearheaded by visionary Luke Howell , has seen them scrutinised and accused of hypocrisy . But artists themselves can only do so much . The real game in decarbonising music lies with the venues and the audience – which collectively account for 90 % of the emissions associated with live performances . We must
“ FEW TEENAGERS HAVE A POSTER OF THEIR FAVOURITE ENVIRONMENTALIST ON THE WALL .”
look to the AEGs and Live Nations of the world to provide planet-friendly stages .
London ’ s O2 Arena has demonstrated the art of the possible . Earlier this year , it delivered the world ’ s first carbon-removed arena events with The 1975 . Working with Claire O ’ Neill ’ s long-pioneering consultancy , A Green Future , AEG ’ s brilliant head of sustainability Sam Booth coordinated his colleagues and suppliers to radically reduce emissions before committing to removing
Mark Stevenson
those they couldn ’ t eradicate ; mostly from audience travel . This last part of the jigsaw was made possible by my team at CUR8 and funded by a 90p investment incorporated into the ticket price – an investment which drew no push-back . The pleasure was no longer guilty .
The real prize for me though is not a greener music industry . Rather , it is the chance to free those artists who wish to walk onto stages and , without contradiction , use their connection with audiences to accelerate the cultural shifts we need for a low-carbon future . Let ’ s be honest , few teenagers have a poster of their favourite environmentalist on the wall .
I ’ m reminded of my friend , and powerhouse-for-good , Stefanie Pfeil ; who was instrumental in growing environmental law heroes Client Earth . She traces her interest in the environment and social justice not to a nature documentary or piece of journalism or parental influence , but because her favourite band as a teenager , U2 , invited her to ‘ join Amnesty International ’. And she did . accessaa . co . uk 17