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In early September 2022, organizers of the Harvest Moon festival in Miramar, Fla., were forced to cancel their three-day country music event for an unusual reason: They could not find affordable cancellation insurance for the festival, which was scheduled to take place Oct. 27-29, little more than a month away.
Executives with destination-festival producer Topeka thought they had a policy in place when they announced Harvest Moon — which was to feature headliners Eric Church and the Turnpike Troubadours — and had had no problem getting coverage in the past; the festival fell outside the official hurricane season. But approximately six weeks before the event, weather forecasts indicated that Miramar could be in the path of two developing superstorms. As a result, sources close to the festival tell Billboard that Harvest Moon promoters were suddenly being quoted prohibitively high prices that led to the decision to scrap the event and refund buyers, despite being 70% sold.
While these circumstances are rare, the incident underscores how the liabilities posed by inclement weather and climate change have significantly increased financial risk for independent promoters.The event business used to be much more competitive, which meant much lower prices for the policyholders. But a substantial increase in the number of festivals taking place yearly in North America, coupled with an increase in adverse weather, has caused event cancellation insurance premiums to triple and deductibles to balloon in recent years.
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For much of the last decade, event cancellation insurance enabled promoters to insure their expenses and forecast profits for about 80 cents per $100. So, for example, a promoter that booked an artist for $500,000 could purchase a $4,000 policy covering that expense in the event of an adverse weather cancellation.
But policy prices have risen exponentially now that “insurance companies are increasingly relying on historic data about regional weather patterns and spending more time trying to identify the statistical risk based on location and time of year,” says Paul Bassman, a broker with Dallas event coverage firm Higginbotham.
Tim Epstein, an attorney for independent festivals in North America, says rising premium costs are first felt by indie promoters and organizers. While Live Nation and AEG have begun reducing payouts for festivals that cancel 60 to 30 days in advance, prompting some artists to carry their own policies, indie promoters can’t often stipulate similar terms for their acts, and, as a result, “people are becoming more cognizant of the risks they face from weather,” he says.
This story will appear in the March 30, 2024, issue of Billboard.
This past Monday (Feb. 5), roughly 300 people across music industry sectors gathered at The Novo theater in downtown Los Angeles for the first -ever North American music industry climate summit. Outside, sheets of rain came down during unusually heavy storms in Southern California, adding a sense of urgency – and purpose – to an event meant to catalyze the music industry into taking meaningful action on the issue.
Organized by the Music Sustainability Alliance (MSA) – a neutral body that functions as a sustainability convener and resource for the entire industry – the Music Sustainability Summit featured eight hours of panels on climate-related topics, from carbon emissions related to fan travel to environmentally responsible food sourcing at events. Attendees were encouraged to (and did) bring their own water bottles and lanyards, with reusable cups on hand and a plant-based lunch served with bamboo plates and cutlery.
The event was a watershed moment for the music industry’s relationship with climate change, marking the first-time leaders of all sectors of the industry came together to discuss the issue and commit to creating systemic change. Enthusiasm around the event – which had to move to a larger venue to accommodate interest and drew a big crowd even in inclement weather – demonstrated that the industry is eager, even desperate, to become more sustainable and use the platform of music to inspire and catalyze a cultural movement for climate action.
Beyond knowledge sharing, the summit succeeded in bringing together stakeholders in the music industry’s fight against climate change, solidifying and expanding this community and shoring up the collective knowledge base. The summit was hosted by Joel Makower, a business sustainability expert and journalist whose depth of knowledge on the subject was matched by a thoughtful, often funny demeanor that brought levity to an often very existential seeming problem.
“The good news we don’t hear enough about is that we already have the solutions to climate change that work and are affordable,” noted one panelist. “How do I know this? Because we’ve scienced the s— out of it.”
(The summit was held under the Chatham House Rule, which advises that anyone who comes to a meeting is free to use information from that meeting, but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment. This rule was enacted so that summit attendees could speak freely in order to allow the event to have the highest impact. Billboard was the media sponsor of the Summit and agreed to abide by this Rule.)
Representatives for the MSA tell Billboard that following the summit, the plan is to keep momentum going through the formation of working groups. The MSA — lead by president and co-founder Amy Morrison, director Eleanor Anderson, co-founder and board member Michael Martin and board member Kurt Langer — will function as admin for these groups, helping bring people together, organize meetings and take notes to ensure conversations turn into action.
The MSA will also host monthly webinars to focus on specific issues. The first one next month will include a vote on how the industry can use its platforms to encourage audiences to be climate-minded voters. The summit will become an annual event, scheduled to happen annually on the day after the Grammys. Additionally, the MSA is working on accessible online content including an updated resource guide and other educational materials.
Music Sustainability Alliance staff Kurt Langer, Amy Morrison, Eleanor Anderson, and Michael Martin
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A crucial part of the plan is to have employees from competing companies engage with each other in a pre-competitive environment to share information and take steps that will be necessary for all companies to enact to meaningfully address climate change. The summit demonstrated that these precompetitive conversations are possible, with one panel featuring chief sustainability officers from Live Nation, AEG, ASM Global and Oak View Group, who told the audience they were all friendly with each other anyway.
Here are a few of the many things learned at the inaugural event.
The Music Industry Has Oversized Influence On The Issue
While it’s not yet clear just how much carbon emissions the music industry is responsible for, it’s likely that this number is relatively small in comparison to other industries. But the influence the industry has on climate change is massive, with many speakers emphasizing that because music affects culture — and the hearts, minds and motivations of listeners — the effect the industry can have on the issue is tremendous.
“Music makes culture,” one speaker observed, and thus determines “what things in culture become normalized.”
Artists Can Do a Lot, But They Can’t Do It All
There were many conversations about the effect artists can have in terms of educating their audiences on climate change and motivating fans to take action. These conversations observed that authenticity is the key to successful initiatives and that fans find it most inspiring when artists take action with them. Billie Eilish’s sustainability efforts were cited many times throughout the day, including a statistic that 130,000 fan actions resulted from Eilish’s climate change initiatives during her last tour.
These discussions advised, however, that artists cannot take on the burden of responsibility alone, with everyone in the industry responsible for initiating action, while also working with legislators.
Practical Solutions Are Available Now
A presentation on waste management noted that four billion single use cups are thrown away at live events every year. But the music industry is leading the re-use movement in the United States through a company called r.Cup — which provides reusable cups in venues and at festivals and which has eliminated 43 tons of plastic so far. Both AEG and Live Nation have employed successful reusable cup programs at various events.
Emissions: Fan Travel Is The Leading Issue
In terms of energy use, a panel on diesel fuel noted that the quickest way to decarbonize the music industry would be to remove diesel generators from event sites. While this measure is currently cost prohibitive and not yet possible, as most legacy rental companies would need a massive infrastructure upgrade to make it happen, the panel emphasized that it’s likely the technology to make this happen is forthcoming.
This conversation also included the use of HVOs (renewable diesel) that reduces CO2 emissions by 90%, along with talk about the option for currently available batteries to replace diesel generators in ancillary uses like parking lots and site lighting, etc. The hybrid use of batteries and generators was also discussed.
During the panel, it was noted that fan travel contributes to 50-80% of music industry carbon emissions, an acute issue given that many festivals happen in far-flung locations and that even many cities connected to the grid don’t offer public transportation. This conversation illustrated the need for promoters, venues, festival producers, fans, artists and municipalities to work together.
Food Is a Crucial Piece of Puzzle — And Action On It Can Happen Now
With animal agriculture being a major contributor to climate change, deforestation and air and water pollution, a food-focused panel demonstrated that the industry – from massive arena concerts to video shoots to award shows and meetings – can impact this in a positive way through plant-based catering and concessions.
It was suggested that even large venues that get food from large, national distributors could open up one plant-based concession stand to a local business or allow this business to park a food truck outside. Changing menus to include plant-based options is doable now, and a good place to start in terms of action that has the potential to change people’s everyday food choices.
Support And Feed, an organization founded by Eilish and Finneas’ mother Maggie Baird that works to mitigate climate change and increase food security by driving global demand, acceptance, and accessibility of plant-based food, is considered a leader in this space. The food panel also cited that roughly 8.8 million gallons of water were saved thanks to Eilish’s last tour switching to plant-based catering.
In Warner Music Group‘s sprawling 2023 ESG report, released Tuesday (Jan. 30), the label outlined plans and goals for its workforce, artists and environmental impact.
“We are determined to transform our business and spur industry change to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis,” the report states in an expansive section on sustainability practices. “This includes measuring and understanding WMG’s environmental footprint, setting science-based targets to reduce emissions…and leveraging our scale, experience and partnerships to foster cross-industry cooperation to minimize the environmental impacts of making and distributing music.”
For the company, these changes start with the company’s brick-and-mortar spaces, with the goal that “WMG will source 100% renewable energy for our operations” by 2030.
The plan is to first implement this initiative in WMG’s global offices and workspaces before rolling it out to WMG-owned and operated facilities. The company also plans to decarbonize its workplaces through 100% renewable energy-based power by 2030.
The report cites WMG joining with Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group in 2023 to establish the Music Industry Climate Collective. The first initiative of this working group has been supporting the development and implementation of sector-specific guidelines for calculating Scope 3 GHG emissions within the recorded music industry. “Scope 3” refers to indirect emissions that occur in the value chain, such as those from product manufacturing, distribution and licensing.
The company also noted a previously announced partnership with MIT, Live Nation, Coldplay and Hope Solutions to understand and mitigate the environmental impact of the live events.
The company cites a goal of increasing public transportation utilization by 20% at Warner Music live events. This effort has already resulted in a partnership between Warner Music Finland Live and Helsinki City Public Transportation, which has provided fans with free public transportation included in their concert tickets.
With its environmental impact data independently reviewed and assured by a third-party auditor for the first time in 2023, WMG reports that in the past year, it has made “significant strides” in its Scope 1 and 2 data collection, analysis and methodology. (Scope 1 and 2 refers to emissions that are owned or controlled by the company and indirect emissions that result from activities of the company.)
“Despite our return to office,” the report says, its efforts “have led to an overall decrease in our reported Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions for 2023.”
The report also cites successful employee-driven initiatives, including its U.K. Wrights Lane office eliminating single-use plastic and switching to reusable cutlery and serveware. The WMG office in France has eliminated paper cups and improved waste management to increase recycling.
Regarding sustainable products and merchandise, the company outlines “an industry-first method” of creating vinyl albums using PVC alternatives. Says the report: “We are delivering these changes in partnership with our artists and songwriters, many of whom are increasingly looking for ways to share music with their fans in a sustainable way.”
Read the full report here.
As the music industry prepares to gather next week in Los Angeles for discussions on how to address climate change within the sector, a new initiative to better understand the scope of the challenge is underway.
On Monday (Jan. 29), MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative announced that it’s launching a comprehensive study of the live music industry’s carbon footprint. Co-funded and supported by Warner Music Group, Live Nation and Coldplay, the report will suggest solutions to reduce the environmental impact of live music events across all venue sizes, from, a statement says, “pubs and clubs to stadiums.”
Focused on the U.S. and U.K. markets, the partnership will begin with an initial research phase, with the resulting Assessment Report of Live Music and Climate Change expected to be complete by this July.
The report aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between live music and climate change, to identify key areas where the industry and concertgoers can make tangible improvements to reduce emissions, to foster positive outcomes and to provide a detailed analysis of the latest developments in green technology and sustainable practices.
“I’m delighted that we will be working with our partners to co-create recommendations for a sustainable future in music,” says Professor John E. Fernandez, director of the ESI at MIT. “As well as jointly funding the research, I applaud the spirit of openness and collaboration that will allow us to identify specific challenges in areas such as live event production, freight and audience travel, and recommend solutions that can be implemented across the entire industry to address climate change.”
Coldplay has also committed to manufacturing all physical records for their forthcoming 2024 album from recycled plastic bottles, which a statement claims is the first initiative of its kind.
Coldplay is a longtime sustainability leader, with the band saying last June that its Music Of The Spheres tour has so far produced 47% fewer CO2e emissions than its previous tour and that it’s planted five million trees to date.
With fan travel being one of the biggest carbon emissions drivers in the music industry, in 2022 the band partnered with Live Nation and major public transportation providers to offer fans free or discounted rides to foster more sustainable travel. A study found that this initiative fostered a 59% average increase in public transport ridership on show days across four U.S. cities.
The first-ever North American music industry climate summit is growing.
The inaugural Music Sustainability Summit has announced that due to high demand, it’s moving the event from the USC campus to the 2,300-capacity The Novo in downtown Los Angeles.
Set to take place on Feb. 4, the summit will feature a day’s worth of discussions on how the music industry is addressing, adapting to and finding solutions for the climate crisis.
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In addition to the summit’s previously announced programming, the event has added a conversation with promoters and venues including Lindsay Arell, the chief sustainability officer of ASM Global; Lucy August-Perna, the head of global sustainability at Live Nation Entertainment; Erik Distler, the vp of sustainability at AEG; and Kristen Fulmer, the head of sustainability at Oak View Group and GOAL. The discussion will focus on challenges, bright spots and visions for the future.
Additionally, the summit has added a conversation between representatives from several major labels, including Olga LaBelle, the vp/head of ESG at Warner Music Group. Representatives from two other labels will be announced in the coming weeks.
Newly added speakers include Jonathan Foley, the executive director of Project Drawdown; Cassie Lee, the CEO of Sound Future; Adam Met of the band AJR, who also serves as the executive director of Planet Reimagined and a professor at Columbia University; artist Beattie Wolfe; artist AY Young; Jett Glozier, the global head of infrastructure at Sound Diplomacy; Jon Ozaksut, the digital director at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication; and Rita Kampalath, the chief sustainability offer of L.A. County.
Tickets for the summit are on sale now and available on a sliding scale. The doors open at 8:30 a.m., with programming beginning promptly at 9 a.m. and running until 5:30 p.m.
The event is being organized by the Music Sustainability Alliance, which provides science-based solutions, business case analyses, best practices and tools for operational change across the music industry. The Alliance reports that a diverse group of attendees has already registered for the event, including big names in climate science and sustainability, along with music industry professionals from venues, promoters, agencies, production companies, artist management companies and more.
“Every job is a climate job,” the Music Sustainability Alliance’s Amy Morrison tells Billboard.
Billboard is the official media partner of the Music Sustainability Summit.
With climate change having an increasing effect on the music industry, Billboard is partnering with the Music Sustainability Alliance to help foster impactful solutions to this urgent issue.
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Billboard will be the official media partner of the inaugural Music Sustainability Summit, happening Feb. 5 at the USC Campus in Los Angeles. Produced by the Music Sustainability Alliance, the event marks the first music industry climate summit in North America.
“Billboard is delighted to be partnering with the Music Sustainability Alliance to amplify their essential work in educating the music industry about climate action,” says Billboard‘s Chief Brand Officer Dana Droppo. “Dedicating our attention to environmentalism is an investment in future generations of fans and artists alike, and we can’t wait witness the exchange of ideas at this inaugural Summit.”
The Music Sustainability Alliance provides science-based solutions, business case analyses, best practices, and tools for operational change across the music industry. Tickets for the Summit — running 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — are available on a sliding scale between $25 and $200 and are available now.
“The MSA is thrilled to partner with Billboard to advance meaningful climate action in the music industry,” adds Music Sustainability Alliance President and Co-founder Amy Morrison. “With the support of Billboard, The Summit will become an annual gathering of the tribes, bringing together the MSA team, our diverse group of stakeholders and new advocates.”
The Summit will feature speakers including Lindsay Arell, head of sustainability at ASM, Maggie Baird the founder of Support + Feed, John Fernandez, the director of the Environmental Solutions Initiative at MIT, Adam Gardner, the co-founder and Co-Director of REVERB (and also the guitarist and vocalist for Guster), Garrett Keraga, the senior manager of sustainability, policy & advisory at ClimeCo, Cassie Lee, the CEO of Sound Future, Michael Martin, the CEO and founder of r.World & Effect Partners, Amy Morrison, the president & co-founder of the the Music Sustainability Alliance, Lesley Olenik the vice president of touring at Live Nation and Jake Perry, the director of operations at C3 Presents. See the complete program here.
In less than two months, the-ever first North American music industry climate summit will happen at the USC Campus in Los Angeles. Today (Dec. 14), the event is announcing a robust list of speakers and programming for the day-long event.
Happening Feb. 5, the Summit will feature speakers including Lindsay Arell, head of sustainability at ASM, Maggie Baird the founder of Support + Feed, John Fernandez, the director of the Environmental Solutions Initiative at MIT, Adam Gardner, the co-founder and Co-Director of REVERB (and also the guitarist and vocalist for Guster), Garrett Keraga, the senior manager of sustainability, policy & advisory at ClimeCo, Cassie Lee, the CEO of Sound Future, Michael Martin, the CEO and founder of r.World & Effect Partners, Amy Morrison, the president & co-founder of the the Music Sustainability Alliance, Lesley Olenik the vice president of touring at Live Nation and Jake Perry, the director of operations at C3 Presents.
Other speakers will represent companies including TAIT, CES, Coca Cola, Overdrive Energy Solutions and Rock-it Global. Additional speakers will be added before the event. Panels will be moderated by GreenBiz Chairman & Co-founder Joel Makower and address climate-related problems specific to the music economy including carbon emissions from fan travel, waste management, clean energy options and much more. See the complete Summit program below.
The Music Sustainability Summit is being produced by The Music Sustainability Alliance, an organization that provide science-based solutions, business case analyses, best practices, and tools for operational change across the industry. Tickets for the event — running 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — are available on a sliding scale between $25 and $200 and are available now.
“We welcome all, the climate curious and the climate experts,” Music Sustainability Alliance co-founder and president Morrison said upon the Summit’s announcement. “There will be something for everybody.”
Music Sustainability Summit 2024 Program
Our Place in the World, Welcome from the MSA: Get grounded in space in time with Amy Morrison and Michael Martin, co-founders of the MSA, and Joel Makower, founder of GreenBiz – the most vital resource for greening the economy on the planet.
What’s the Problem?, The New Music Sustainability Basics: Emissions and waste are hard to measure, so we’ve gotten the experts to do it for us. MIT presents an overview of the music industry decision makers from a sustainability lens, showing us where to place our emphasis – ClimeCo brings a holistic picture of the problems we face, based on interviews from players across the music landscape. Finally, Cassie Lee from Sound Future shows us how to leverage the power of live events as a catalyst for climate innovation.
The Artist-Activist Spectrum, Artist Discussion: You’re small, you’re huge. You’re an activist first, you’re an artist first. Most likely, you’re somewhere in between. Join artists from all over the spectrum as they speak openly about the challenges, anxieties, and joys of climate action. And learn how to most effectively support them in their quest for impact.
What We Eat Matters, Food, Carbon, and Equity: “Plant-based eating is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on the earth.” – Univ. of Oxford. This conversation will explore how the music business can set precedent for other industries. From catering, to concessions, to community outreach, we will shine a light on how to eat more sustainably for the planet and each other. This conversation will show the opportunities artists and the music industry have, to shift to a more equitable food system and how they can impact local communities.
That’s Trashy!, Waste Management: It’s the most visible problem in the live music industry: millions of plastic cups, food containers, and pounds of food waste. No one likes it, it’s expensive, and there’s a solution. Join the people engineering the future of zero waste venues, and hear directly from waste haulers and concessionaires about the pain points of the transition.
Dark Days for Diesel, New Horizons for Power: Diesel generators are like the gas-powered leaf blower of the music industry: dirty, loud, and carbon-polluting… but familiar and reliable. As clean energy technologies become more widely available, festivals are leading the way in innovative power solutions to shift the industry away from fossil fuels. Meet the experts battery-powering the revolution and learn how you can hop on the train before it leaves the (solar-powered) station.
Haul it All, Freight, Trucking, Logistics, and Shipping: Whether you’re touring with a convoy of 18-wheelers, a fleet of cargo planes, ocean freight or just an acoustic guitar, getting all your gear from place to place is top-of-mind from an emissions perspective. Learn how to design cleaner, less-wasteful touring from the ground up and what artists and tours are doing today to reduce their environmental and social impact.
The Elephant in the Car, Fan Travel: It sucks, and no one wants to talk about it: anywhere from 50 – 90% of the music industry’s emission problems come from fan transportation. Like it or not, we generate the demand, and that means we’re responsible for the planes, trains, and automobiles that get people to the show. How do we even get started? From shuttle programs, to incentivizing mass transit, to lobbying for clean energy, it’s time to bite the bullet and build a livable future for our fans and ourselves.
Our Voice, Our power, Climate Communications and Fan Engagement: We’re musicians and music business professionals, not scientists. So let’s learn how to use our best weapons – our voices – to fight climate change. Learn from climate communication experts about the most effective ways for musicians and their teams to talk about climate – without fear of getting canceled.
Processing: What Just Happened?, Moderated Group Discussion: Joel Makower of GreenBiz leads us in conversation. Now that you’ve got the lay of the land, it’s time to put it all together. Meet with your new (and old) partners on the journey. Ask questions about your place on the road to zero emissions. If you’ve got questions, chances are, you’re not the only one. In this session, the audience has a chance to join the discussion and inform what’s next.
Where do we go from here?, Onwards and upwards with the MSA: Learn what’s next for the MSA and others in the industry, including plans for getting together to help each other along, and shared resources for maintaining a high level of impact.
As the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference begins in Dubai, a crew of music artists are putting their support behind a campaign that links climate action and human rights.
As part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, artists including Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, Carole King and Annie Lennox have released statements urging leaders at the climate summit to support climate justice goals. The campaign will benefit from the artists’ combined social media followings of more than 300 million, with the goal to build support for United Nations Human Rights climate justice goals. Rob Thomas will add his voice to the campaign in the coming days.
The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance addresses climate change through the lens of human rights, coalescing input from human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve the future of humanity and the planet. The organization is partnered with the United Nations Human Rights, one of the U.N.’s major divisions.
All four artists released statements supporting the campaign via Instagram.
“By working together and supporting rights-based climate action for people and the planet,” Lovato wrote, “we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”
“Climate change is the SINGLE BIGGEST HEALTH THREAT FACING HUMANITY,” Lennox wrote. “The impacts are already harming health through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, food insecurity, and pressures on mental health. Every year environmental factors take the lives of 13 million people… Climate change is a huge challenge, yet there ARE MANY SOLUTIONS. These solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving our lives and protecting the environment.”
“The impacts of climate change are now being felt in all countries, yet not all people are being impacted the same way,” wrote Lauper. “Climate change is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable women, children and marginalized people of the world most.”
“By working together and supporting inclusive, rights-based climate action for people and the planet,” wrote King, “we can realize a better, more sustainable future for all.”
The social media campaign precedes a press conference from the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance and United Nations Human Rights in Dubai at COP28 on Dec. 8. The press conference will include Recording Academy president Panos A. Panay and Chantel Sausedo, the Recording Academy’s vp of artist relations, who together will discuss the organization’s goals of using music to promote climate justice and rights-based climate action.
The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be held at the University of Oxford from Sept. 11-14, 2024 and end with the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert. The lineup for the event will be announced at a later date.
Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference starting tomorrow (Nov. 3) in Dubai, Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have announced the creation of the Music Industry Climate Collective (MICC). This alliance will work to address the challenges and changes in the global climate and how they relate to the music industry.
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The MICC’s first initiative will be offering comprehensive sectoral guidance for measuring scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, defined as “emissions that are not produced by the company itself and are not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by them, but by those that it’s indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain.”
For the music sector, the vast majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are in scope 3.
MICC’s members have already worked with scientific experts on their first draft of the sectoral guidance, which will be made available to industry participants. MICC’s members have also initiated calls for wider industry input through an advisory council composed of independent record labels, value chain partners, and climate experts. The guidance will be further developed through an inclusive, multi-stakeholder process.
The American Association of Independent Music, a non-profit trade organization representing more than 600 independently owned U.S. record labels, will serve as an advisor to the MICC. A2IM will assist in myriad ways, initially with recommendations on how best to include small-to-medium-sized businesses in this initiative.
“This initiative demonstrates what can be achieved when music leaders come together with a shared vision and commitment to sustainability,” the MICC’s founding members say in a group statement. “We are proud to collaborate to amplify environmental stewardship and offer practical recommendations and strategies tailored to the unique needs of music companies, regardless of their size or scale of operations.
“Together, we must continue to make progress on this vital priority,” the statement continues. “We welcome all to join us in reducing our industry’s carbon footprint by working together to ensure an environmentally responsible future for music and our planet.”
2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record, with many concerts and festivals affected by climate change since the start of the year.
7/6, Island of Tiree, Scotland — The Tiree Music Festival, a three-day folk music event scheduled for July 7-9, canceled entirely due to what organizers called “extreme weather conditions.”
7/9, Pittsburgh, Penn. — At an Ed Sheeran concert at Acrisure Stadium, the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS personnel working the concert received 37 calls for service, with 17 transports to the hospital. A press release from the City of Pittsburgh reported that the transports were for “heat-related issues,” along with a few falls, one seizure and two cardiac arrests.
7/9, Amsterdam, Netherlands – The electronic music festival Awakenings canceled its third day, including sets by dozens of producers including TSHA, Amelie Lens and Tale of Us, due to severe weather.
7/15, Hartford, Conn. — Jason Aldean ended a concert at Xfinity Theatre early after experiencing heat stroke while onstage. Temperatures reached nearly 90 degrees that day.
7/19-25, Europe – Pearl Jam canceled shows in Vienna, Prague and Amsterdam after Eddie Vedder suffered throat damage during an outdoor show at Lollapalooza Paris due to heat, along with dust and smoke from wildfires throughout Europe.
7/22, Chicago, Ill. — Pitchfork Music Festival asked attendees to evacuate the festival site in the city’s Union Park, with the event resuming after a severe thunderstorm had passed.
7/25, Phoenix, Ariz. — Disturbed canceled its show at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre because the band’s equipment would not turn on in the heat, which reached 117 degrees that day.