The British rock band Coldplay came to Kaohsiung World Games main venue to perform, attracting more than 160,000 people in two days. At the concert, Coldplay distributed recyclable LED bracelets. On the first day, the bracelet recycling rate in Taiwan was as high as 93%, ranking fourth in the world. Coldplay is also the first band in the world to publish a sustainability report. What other carbon reduction initiatives do they have?
The ESG trend has spread into the cultural and music industries, and performances that incorporate the concepts of sustainability and carbon reduction are also springing up. Coldplay, worth NT$3.2 billion, has long responded to "environmental protection and sustainability" and returned to the stage to hold a concert after an absence of 6 years. In addition to attracting more than 50,000 people to attend the pilgrimage, setting a record of nearly 87,000 people inside and outside the venue at the same time, it also launched a series of carbon reduction actions.
The "environmentally friendly" concert tour: Music of the Spheres, which will start in March 2022, will start with Costa Rica, a sustainable city that uses 99% renewable energy, and will end in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Initiative 1》Concert recycling LED bracelets, Taiwan’s recycling rate is 93%
During this world tour, Coldplay still distributed LED bracelets made of plant-based and compostable materials to the audience when they entered the venue, replacing the fluorescent sticks brought by fans. They will be recycled after the concert and reused at the next show. . The live screen at the concert also showed the recycling rates of LED bracelets around the world. Unexpectedly, on the first day of the concert, Kaohsiung had an outstanding recycling rate of 93%, ranking third only after Tokyo, Japan (97%) and Copenhagen, Denmark (96%). The name is Buenos Aires, Argentina (94%).
However, regarding the original environmental protection intention of recycling the bracelet, some fans thought that "it is a souvenir" and shouted, "I will never return it." In fact, in addition to the words "Please return for recycling" and "Made of plant-based recyclable materials" printed on the inside of the white bracelet, there is nothing printed related to Coldplay. A large number of netizens responded, "In two years, I will forget what it is, what is it?" Very memorable."
Initiative 2》Use green energy: recycle battery modules to generate electricity, and add money to use sustainable fuels
Coldplay World Tour uses a large amount of renewable energy to provide electricity, and also cooperated with BMW to introduce a giant "power bank" made of i3 electric vehicle recycled battery modules.
The recycled battery modules of the BMW i3 electric car are then made into an energy storage system, which can absorb renewable energy such as sunlight and wind, replace traditional diesel generators, and use green electricity to supply equipment on the stage. Coldplay is the first band to use BMW i3 batteries on tour. It is estimated that a second-hand BMW i3 battery can be used for more than ten years of performance.
This time, the concert specially set up an "energy interactive device" in the flat rock area. Fans can contribute to the electricity needed for the performance through power-generating bicycles and bouncing floors. The organizers also set up drinking water supply stations and encouraged the public to bring their own environmentally friendly cups other than stainless steel, which can be taken for free after entering the venue.
In terms of freight, logistics and international flights, renewable fuels are used as much as possible, and the aircraft taken by the band members will use or provide sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from organic waste oil at an additional cost, which can reduce air travel 75% to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.
"Pioneering 3" worth 3.2 billion, Coldplay is willing to leave the stage temporarily for environmental protection
After 27 years of existence, Coldplay has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and is one of the best-selling bands in history. It has also won 8 BRIT Awards, 7 Grammy Awards, and 5 MTV Video Music Awards. Music fans are even more excited. is all over the world. Why does a band that has won numerous awards and is popular around the world take the risk of increasing costs and create an unprecedented "sustainable concert"?
The story goes back to 2017. Coldplay completed the year-and-a-half world tour "A Head Full of Dreams", which spanned five continents and held a total of 122 concerts, attracting 5.39 million people. The entire tour was The environmental burden is also considerable.
Feeling this, in November 2019, lead singer Chris Martin dropped a shock bomb and announced that Coldplay would suspend its world tour until a more environmentally friendly method was found. Since then, Coldplay and environmental experts have been actively researching ways to reduce carbon emissions, leading to the creation of an "environmentally friendly" concert tour.
In October 2021, Coldplay not only released their latest album "Music of the Spheres", but also announced that they would restart their beloved world tour in 2022 while causing the lowest burden on the environment.
Photo/Coldplay and environmental experts actively researched ways to reduce carbon emissions, resulting in the creation of an "environmentally friendly" concert tour. Picture taken from Coldplay Facebook
Creation 4》My first experience in the music industry! Coldplay releases sustainability report
Coldplay has long advocated and supported environmental protection actions. It also released a sustainability report before the start of the "Music of the Spheres" world tour in 2022, setting a first in the music industry.
Coldplay's sustainability report emphasizes the three core concepts of "reduce", "reshape" and "restoration", committing to reducing environmental consumption, expanding the recycling of performance items, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions from tours by 50%. On the other hand, it supports green technology, develops sustainable low-carbon tourism methods, and neutralizes the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during world tours by funding a series of natural carbon reduction projects.
Coldplay's sustainability report emphasizes that measurements and processes are aligned with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) compliance standards, setting a clear goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 50% compared to the previous world tour (2016-2017). In addition, the ESG report was evaluated and verified by John E. Fernandez, director of the Environmental Solutions Initiative at MIT. Coldplay uses clear and concise narratives to demonstrate its determination to reduce carbon emissions to fans around the world.
Initiative 5》For every ticket sold, Coldplay plants a tree
In order to realize its commitment to carbon reduction, Coldplay and software company SAP collaborated to develop an app through which fans can check low-carbon transportation options to reach the venue. For every concert ticket sold, Coldplay also partners with forest regeneration organization One Tree Planted to plant a tree.
10% of the revenue, including tour concerts, recording production fees and copyright royalties, is invested in funding a number of conservation projects, such as woodland conservation, The Ocean Cleanup, Client Earth for environmental law, assisting environmental conservation and Wilderness restoration’s Seafields and My Trees, and Climateworks’ carbon capture technology, etc.
Observers familiar with the music industry say that to their credit, artists are beginning to pioneer more sustainable options when it comes to concert touring. Most people say that the impact on fans will not be immediate, but climate action with a consistent concept can influence huge fans to change their consumption habits and spread environmental protection concepts.
Although concerts still cause unavoidable pollution to the environment, Coldplay has tried its best to reduce its carbon footprint, transform the music industry, and make more people willing to join the ranks of protecting the earth, which deserves recognition.
Source: ESG Foresight
