Leadership / 04.27.22

Celebrate Earth Day: Why the Live Biz Must Take Meaningful Action on Climate Change Now

Access Staff

Pollstar (04/22/22) Pittman, Sarah

Rampant climate change and many industries' apparent disregard of dire scientific forecasts has sparked an urgent call by artists and others who agree that the live music sector has a responsibility to take immediate, meaningful action. "The [music] industry is still way behind most other industries," says Michael Martin, producer of the National Earth Day Concerts and CEO/founder of boutique consultancy Effect Partners and r.Cup. "I am starting to see some great movement, but [it is] still really slow and not fast enough to have an impact before it's too late. There's much more of a focus on talking than doing." Martin explains that the industry must begin to draw down greenhouse gas emissions if it is going to meet the thresholds that are necessary to decelerate climate change. Factors impeding such action include lack of knowledge, existing infrastructure and the perceived expense of implementing environmentally friendly changes. The Music Sustainability Association and LIVE Green in Britain were established to bring the industry together to address the climate crisis collaboratively, and Martin says, "I am hopeful if these organizations are embraced, meaningful change can finally happen." 2021's Global Citizen Live event was a 24-hour covering six continents with eco-conscious headliners, while Live Nation is striving to host more zero waste concerts.

Read the full story from Pollstar. 

Tags: News , Leadership , Sustainability