(Photo: Stevie Ray Gibbs)
Coldplay have shared a new update from their eco-friendly world tour, revealing that they have reduced their emissions by a huge 59 per cent.
The band’s Music of the Spheres world tour began in 2022 and saw the band lay out initiatives in an attempt to minimise their carbon footprint.
Upon the tour’s announcement, the band said they were hoping to cut emissions from the tour by 50 per cent compared to their previous world tour, and a new update has revealed that the band managed to save even more than aimed for.
They said in a statement: “When we first announced the Music of the Spheres Tour in 2021, we pledged to reduce our direct carbon emissions (from show production, freight, band and crew travel) by at least 50%.
“We’re happy to report that direct CO2e emissions from the first two years of this tour are 59% less than our previous stadium tour (2016-17), on a show-by-show comparison. These figures have been verified by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.”
The band added: “We’d like to say a huge thankyou to our incredible touring family and to 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, rideshare 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 already planted one of 7 million trees so far.
“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 2022, Chris Martin revealed that the band were close to cancelling the world tour due to financial constraints, saying: “This was the first time where there was a point where we couldn’t do the tour due to all the money stuff.”
The band also reacted to claims that they are “useful idiots” after announcing a partnership with oil company Neste.
Environmental campaign groups called out the band for engaging in “greenwashing” with a director for the Transport and Environment group saying: “This is a company that is linked to the kind of deforestation that would appal Chris Martin and his fans. It’s not too late, they should drop their partnership with Neste now and focus on truly clean solutions instead.”
Coldplay have responded to the criticism in a statement: “When we announced this tour, we said that we would try our best to make it as sustainable and low carbon-impact as possible, but that it would be a work in progress. That remains true. We don’t claim to have got it all right yet.”
Coldplay will bring the Music of the Spheres tour to Glastonbury this month, headlining the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night.
From Rolling Stone UK.
