Back in 2019, Massive Attack teamed up with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to commission a major study of carbon emissions created from the live music industry. The live scene’s carbon footprint—spanning exhaustive jet setting for tours, energy-consuming live shows, and more—has become a focal cause for the band. Fast forward to the present, Massive Attack now share their findings in efforts to combat the growing climate crisis.
The duo’s plan to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint encompass a few key initiatives including completely forgoing private jets from touring, electric transportation to concerts and festivals, as well as phasing out diesel generators by the year 2025. Massive Attack is also encouraging venues to switch to energy tariffs in hopes of directly supporting renewable energy, and musicians to keep energy emissions in mind while planning tours.
The report also details that for the live music sector to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, it would entail aiming for zero emissions from buildings and surface travel by 2035, and limiting aviation emissions to 80% of those made in 2019.
As touring begins to ramp up following the COVID-19 pandemic, Massive Attack have also revealed their plan to begin offsetting their own carbon footprint. Designing six emissions-reduction modules to trial on their upcoming 2022 tour, the pair have partnered with Ecotricity to host a sustainable tour. Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja said in a press release,
“What matters now is implementation. The major promotors simply must do more—it can’t be left to artists to continually make these public appeals.” He goes on to urge government action, noting that, nine weeks on from the UN climate change conference COP26, we remain unprepared for “the scale of transformation that’s required for the UK economy and society. Fossil fuel companies seem to have no problem at all getting huge subsidies from government, but where is the plan for investment in clean battery technology, clean infrastructure, or decarbonized food supply for a live music sector that generates £4.6 billion [$6.36 billion] for the economy every year and employs more than 200,000 dedicated people? It simply doesn’t exist.”
H/T: Pitchfork
Featured image: Getty Images
