Coldplay say they have beaten emissions target for world tour

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN

(CNN) — Coldplay say they have surpassed their own target for cutting carbon emissions for live shows.

In 2019, frontman Chris Martin announced that the band was putting touring on hold while considering how to make their performances more environmentally friendly.

Two years later, Coldplay announced its Music of the Spheres tour – and with it a pledge to halve emissions generated by show production, freight and the travel for band members and crew.

The achievement is partly down to audience participation, which has seen fans producing energy by jumping up and down on kinetic dance floors and cycling on specially modified bikes. The band also promised to plant a tree for every single ticket sold for their shows.

The range of innovative measures during the tour, which have encouraged the audience to take part in the eco-friendly initiative, have led to them producing 59% less than on their previous stadium tour in 2016-17, Coldplay said. The band said that the figures have been verified by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.

Quoted in the statement on Coldplay’s website, John E. Fernandez, director of the MIT initiative, congratulated the band on their “dedication to positive and meaningful actions,” adding that they have been “setting a new standard for the entire music industry.”

Coldplay thanked “all the brilliant people who’ve made this possible.”

“Most of all, we’d like to thank everyone who’s come to a show and helped charge the show batteries on the power bikes and kinetic dance floors; everyone who’s arrived by foot, bike, ride share or public transport; everyone who’s come with refillable water bottles or returned their LED wristband for recycling; and everyone who’s bought a ticket, which means you’ve planted one of 7 million trees so far,” the band added.

The global stadium tour kicked off in Costa Rica in March 2022 and will continue until later this year, playing to fans in venues as far afield as Finland, Greece, Australia and New Zealand.

In a more detailed breakdown of measures taken, the band said that 7 million trees have been planted, 18 shows in 2023 were powered completely by a system using recycled BMW i3 batteries and that 72% of all tour waste has been diverted from landfill.

Nevertheless, Coldplay admitted that more remains to be done, saying: “As a band, and as an industry, we’re a long way from where we need to be on this. But we’re grateful for everyone’s help so far, and we salute everyone who’s making efforts to push things in the right direction.”

In an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson in 2022, Martin said: “It’s not a purely charitable exercise. We are trying to prove that capitalism can be a bit more compassionate and eco-conscious.”

Green touring has been around for decades, with musicians including Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt among the pioneers. But as the effects of climate change continue to intensify, the music industry is now bringing this approach mainstream. Among those who have taken measures to make their performances are more eco-friendly are Billie Eilish and Maroon 5.

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