Music industry pledges net-zero emissions by 2050

Virgin Radio

14 Dec 2021, 15:09

Major labels including Sony, Universal and Warner have signed up alongside independents, in what's being seen as a big step forward to a cleaner future.

The industry is uniting to work on their environmental impact.

Independent labels including the Beggars and Secretly groups of labels, Warp, Ninja Tune and more, have signed the Music Climate Pact which will see them pledge “actionable climate targets”.

They have committed to signing up to one of two existing schemes, Science Based Targets or the SME Climate Commitment.

The SME Climate Commitment is part of the the UN’s Race to Zero initiative.

By signing up to either of these, companies are committing to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.

Before that, they must achieve a 50% reduction by 2030.

The record labels have also agreed to collaborate on measuring carbon emissions in the music industry, as well as helping their artists to speak out on climate issues.

They have also agreed to talk to fans about how the music industry impacts the environment.

Major streaming companies such as Spotify will be used “to obtain data and drive emission reduction projects in a collaborative fashion”.

Paul Redding is chief executive of Beggars Group (which includes 4AD, XL, Rough Trade and others), and said all of the labels involved will be “pulling in the same direction on sustainability topics” to “carry out the same work, in the same way, at the same time”.

It's the latest step to try and make things better for the planet after Coldplay pledged in October to reduce their emissions on tour.