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In this increasing environmentally conscious world, you may have found yourself making changes to your consumer behaviours; perhaps you have decided to go plant-based, swapped the car for a bike, or maybe you have replaced single-use disposable coffee cups for reusable alternatives, or maybe you only buy from brands that use sustainable methods or sustainably sourced materials. These are all common changes people are making to be more ethical and environmentally friendly in their consumer practices. 

You may have also noticed that big brands are starting to get the message and are making efforts to move in a more sustainable direction by reducing packaging, using recycled materials, or going electric – how many electric car ads have you seen recently?

All these changes are a result of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change signed by 192 UN member parties back in 2015. This treaty aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees celsius compared to pre-industrial temperatures. To achieve this goal, global carbon emissions have to meet a target of Net-Zero by 2050, and to do that we need to consistently half our carbon emissions every decade between now and then!

So, where does the music industry fit into all of this? 

All of the behavioural changes mentioned above relate to the ‘Big’ environmental issues and topics like the burning of fossil fuels, single-use plastics, and deforestation, which are all necessary changes to meet the targets laid out by the Paris Agreement, but they are not the only problems that we need to address! 

As music isn’t a tangible product, it is easy for us to forget that, like every other industry and individual on this planet, it has a carbon footprint; and we, as an industry, as artists, and as consumers of music, need to do our bit to make the industry that we love more sustainable for future generations.

Here at Loop, we are a community of industry professionals, artists, and creatives working together to provide an accessible platform where individuals like us can collaborate, network, and find a community, while also championing the music we love and promoting transparency across the industry; but with this great platform and growing community comes great responsibility!

The Sustainable Music Series

The Sustainable Music Series aims to open up the discussion and to educate on the topic of climate change and sustainability within the context of the music industry. The series will explore the main issues facing the music industry, what needs to be done to combat these, and the efforts that are already being made across the industry to become carbon neutral. Throughout the series we will engage with industry activists, feature artists making sustainable changes, shine the spotlight on organisations fostering positive change, as well as promote more sustainable practices.  

Whether you are passionate about sustainability or if you have next to no knowledge of the topic, this series will certainly provide some deep insights into the topic within the context of the music industry, and believe me, there will be a lot to learn – for everyone! So, stay tuned for the next installment of the series, which will look at the main issues facing the industry and some of the positive stories of change and innovation to combat these.