coldplay tour net zero

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

We are making our Music Of The Spheres Tour as sustainable and low-carbon as possible, guided by three key principles:

Click to read our Sustainability Update

Get in touch.

If you’d like to get in touch with a comment, suggestion or question regarding our sustainability initiatives, then we’d love to hear from you. Please use the contact form below.

NB: If you have a fan enquiry which is not related to sustainability, please use this contact form . 

Country United Kingdom United States Aruba Afghanistan Angola Albania Andorra United Arab Emirates Argentina Armenia American Samoa Antigua and Barbuda Australia Austria Azerbaijan Burundi Belgium Benin Burkina Faso Bangladesh Bulgaria Bahrain Bahamas Bosnia and Herzegovina Belarus Belize Bermuda Bolivia, Plurinational State of Brazil Barbados Brunei Darussalam Bhutan Botswana Central African Republic Canada Switzerland Chile China Côte d’Ivoire Cameroon Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Cook Islands Colombia Comoros Cape Verde Costa Rica Cayman Islands Cyprus Czech Republic Germany Djibouti Dominica Denmark Dominican Republic Algeria Ecuador Egypt Eritrea Spain Estonia Ethiopia Finland Fiji France Micronesia, Federated States of Gabon Georgia Ghana Guinea Gambia Guinea-Bissau Equatorial Guinea Greece Grenada Guatemala Guam Guyana Hong Kong Honduras Croatia Haiti Hungary Indonesia India Ireland Iraq Iceland Israel Italy Jamaica Jordan Japan Kazakhstan Kenya Kyrgyzstan Cambodia Kiribati Saint Kitts and Nevis Korea, Republic of Kosovo Kuwait Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lebanon Liberia Libya Saint Lucia Liechtenstein Sri Lanka Lesotho Lithuania Luxembourg Latvia Morocco Monaco Moldova, Republic of Madagascar Maldives Mexico Marshall Islands Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Mali Malta Myanmar Montenegro Mongolia Mozambique Mauritania Mauritius Malawi Malaysia Namibia Niger Nigeria Nicaragua Netherlands Norway Nepal Nauru New Zealand Oman Pakistan Panama Peru Philippines Palau Papua New Guinea Poland Puerto Rico Portugal Paraguay Palestine, State of Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saudi Arabia Sudan Senegal Singapore Solomon Islands Sierra Leone El Salvador San Marino Somalia Serbia Sao Tome and Principe Suriname Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Swaziland Seychelles Chad Togo Thailand Tajikistan Turkmenistan Timor-Leste Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Taiwan Tanzania, United Republic of Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Virgin Islands, U.S. Viet Nam Vanuatu Samoa Yemen South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe

By clicking on the submit button you are confirming that you have read and agree with the terms of our privacy policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reduce our consumption, recycle extensively and cut our CO2 emissions by 50%.

Support new green technologies and develop new sustainable, super-low carbon touring methods.

Make the tour as environmentally beneficial as possible by funding a portfolio of nature- and technology-based projects and by drawing down significantly more CO2 than the tour produces.

Initiatives

Co2 emissions.

We have pledged to cut the tour’s direct emissions by more than 50% compared to our previous tour (2016-17), and work with our partners and suppliers to reduce their impacts and emissions as much as possible.

We’ve teamed up with DHL as the tour’s Official Logistics Partner in order to minimise emissions from freight and transportation. As leaders in the field of sustainable transport and logistics, DHL  support the tour by offering solutions to minimise logistics-related emissions and other environmental impacts, from advanced biofuels in the air to electric vehicles on land.

Where we cannot reduce, we will be drawing down any unavoidable emissions following the guidance within the Oxford Principles for Net-Zero Aligned carbon offsetting.

We continue to capture climate impact data and calculate our environmental footprint aligning to emissions reporting standards and appropriate conversion factors.

We have adapted all tour operations to minimise emissions, in line with the best science and practices: from set build to travel to freight to power.

We avoid fossil fuels, use clean energy and use reusable and sustainable biomaterials wherever possible.

CO2 drawdown

Despite our best efforts, the tour will still have a significant carbon footprint. We pledge to drawdown more CO2 than the tour produces supporting projects based on reforestation, rewilding, conservation, soil regeneration, carbon capture & storage and renewable energy.

As part of this pledge, the tour is funding the planting – and lifelong protection of – millions of new trees including one tree for every ticket sold .

Our stage production is now powered almost entirely with renewable, super-low emission energy. We avoid fossil fuels wherever possible.

SUSTAINABLE BIOFUELS

Battery system, kinetic energy, grid renewables.

Although the tour has been carefully routed and pre-planned to minimise air travel, some flying is unavoidable. The band does mostly fly on commercial flights, but there are inevitably occasions when charter flights are required for band, crew and equipment.

For all flights, commercial and charter, we pay a surcharge to use or supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), either for our own use or for others’. We source Sustainable Aviation Fuel produced 100% from waste and residues, such as used cooking oil from restaurants. When used unblended with fossil jet fuel, SAF helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions of air travel by up to 80% over the entire life cycle compared to the conventional fossil jet fuel that it replaces.

Wherever possible, we use electric vehicles or biofuel for ground freight and transportation.

We send a sustainability rider to all venues and stadiums in advance to request best environmental practices.

In various locations, in order to minimise freight emissions, we adapt the show so we can utilise local equipment, materials and resources.

We select building materials and show effects based on their environmental credentials:

Stages are built from a combination of lightweight, low-carbon and re-usable materials including recycled steel, that can be appropriately reused or recycled at the end of the tour.

LED WRISTBANDS

The reusable LED wristbands worn by the audience as part of the show are made from 100% compostable, plant-based materials.

We have reduced wristband production by 80% through collecting, sterilising and recharging them after every show.

Our wristband return rate averaged 86% during the first year of the tour. 

LIGHTING & AUDIO

The show has upgraded to ultra-efficient equipment such as a low-energy LED screens laser and lighting systems and a PA system with up to 50% less power consumption compared to the previous tour, which also dramatically reduces environmental noise outside the venues.

Special effects

Confetti used during the show is 100% biodegradable and requires considerably less compressed gas for ignition than on previous tours.

We are using a new generation of sustainable pyrotechnics that have less explosive charge and new formulas that greatly reduce or eliminate harmful chemicals. All tubing and holders are either biodegradable or recyclable.

Audience travel makes up a major part of any tour’s carbon emissions.

We have partnered with SAP on the development of a free tour app that encourages fans to use low carbon transport to and from shows. Download the free app here!

Fans who commit to low-carbon travel will be given a discount code.

CO2 DRAWDOWNS

Based on fans’ use of the app , we have and will continue to calculate the total carbon footprint of travel to and from shows. By supporting climate initiatives we will drawdown all of these emissions via nature-based solutions like rewilding and conservation, and we pledge to continue doing so. As part of this, we plant at least one new tree per ticket sold, sustained for its lifetime.

ACTIVATIONS

The tour includes onsite activations like our energy zone, powered by solar and kinetic energy. These activations feature interactive and educational experiences highlighting innovations in clean technology and the natural world.

We maximise our water efficiency where possible.

Our sustainability rider asks venues to introduce aerated taps, low flushing toilets and reducing water pressure to alleviate water wastage.

Water refill stations for the fans are provided wherever possible.

Fans are encourage to bring a refillable water bottle to the venue, wherever possible.

We minimise waste and promote recycling at our shows.

Working with venues, we strive to eliminate the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. They will be replaced with reusable and recyclable alternatives.

We work with each venue to help and encourage them to establish recycling programs within the stadium where not already in place.

The tour also helps to clean up waste beyond the concerts themselves by sponsoring the two-tiered work of The Ocean Cleanup:

River Interceptors remove thousands of tonnes of garbage from some of the most polluting rivers around the world, intercepting waste before it reaches the ocean.

Ocean Cleanup units are working in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to clear 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.

The carbon emissions of food can account for up to 20% of a person’s carbon footprint. Food production, transportation and waste is a massive contributor to climate change and we address this within our crew catering operation.

PLANT-BASED

All our crew catering menus have plant-based and meat-free options as standard.

LOCALLY SOURCED

Organic produce is sourced from local suppliers or farms that practice regenerative agriculture techniques.

We are supporting the development of synthetic, lab-grown cultured foods.

We partner with local food banks to donate any surplus food where possible.

Organic waste, such as vegetable peelings and scraps, is composted wherever possible.

MERCHANDISE

All merch is sustainably and ethically sourced. Where possible, all plastics and polyesters will be replaced with natural alternatives like organic cotton.

Wherever possible, all merchandise is made of natural fibres and recycled / recyclable elements.

Partners and vendors are carefully selected to provide high quality & sustainable merchandise.

All products are sourced with vendors who prove ethical work practices including fair wages and good working conditions.

Wherever possible, all merchandise is packaged in recycled paper, card or compostable bags.

We also encourage venues to mirror these standards in their food concessions.

GOOD CAUSES

As we have always done, we will put 10% of everything we earn (touring, records, publishing etc) into a good causes fund.   These funds will be split between environmental and socially-conscious projects and charities including ClientEarth, The Ocean Cleanup and One Tree Planted.   We are working in partnership with EarthPercent as a founding donor.

We are not responsible for the content of external websites

We acknowledge that, despite our best efforts,   the tour will still have a significant carbon footprint.   We pledge to drawdown significantly more emissions than the tour produces by supporting various nature projects around the world, focusing on reforestation, rewilding, conservation and soil regeneration.

REFORESTATION

Working with One Tree Planted, we have supported 21 planting projects across 17 countries from ecosystem regeneration in the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil to revegetating Marna Banggara in Australia. Planting trees in areas that have been degraded or deforested has helped the environment by accelerating and assuring the re-establishment of healthy forests. One Tree Planted Examples of projects below:

North America

California - Mendocino and Sonoma Counties Restoration

Central America

Haiti - USAID Reforestation Project Priority Micro-watersheds

South America

Andes - High Andes Polylepis Forest

Brazil - Raízes do Mogi Guaçu

Romania - Reviving the Carpathians

Soil health is critical to a healthy planet and we are supporting positive soil restoration projects that regenerate the land, promote biodiversity and sequester millions of tonnes of CO2.

Biodiverse landscapes (such as ancient woodland) sequester up to 80% more CO2 because of the complex soil structure.   For this reason, we are avoiding mono-culture plantations.

Food Forest Project The Sustainable Food Trust

In addition to Ocean Cleanup’s work, we are supporting ocean conservation and the protection of marine species, seagrass meadow restoration and management of seaweed blooms.

The Ocean Cleanup Sea Shepherd Project Seagrass Seafields

We are investing in projects that restore degraded and marginal land to its natural uncultivated state, thereby promoting biodiversity, capturing CO2 emissions and providing support for ecosystems such as natural flood defenses.  

Project Quercus Farm Under the Radar

CONSERVATION

We’re proud to support MyTrees Trust / Miti Yangu in Zimbabwe.   This community-led project will protect a vast new area of wilderness, support the regeneration of forest and provide a habitat for critically-threatened wildlife.

My Trees Trust / Miti Yangu

CONSERVATION AT SEA

We are supporting the efforts of Captain Paul Watson Foundation to stop the damaging effects of overfishing and threats to marine wildlife, particularly whales and dolphins.

Captain Paul Watson Foundation

TRANSPARENCY

We’re committed to the ongoing measurement of our environmental impacts – both positive and negative – so that we can make further improvements as we go along.

We are working with Green Nation , Live Nation’s sustainability platform, as a special artist advisor. This will ensure sustainable practices developed on this tour are shared, adopted and scaled throughout the rest of the industry.

Coldplay powers green tour with kinetic dance floors, stationary bikes

Band reflects overall push in the entertainment sphere to reduce carbon footprints.

Social Sharing

It's often said that fans at live concerts give the band a jolt of electricity. Coldplay wants to literally harness that.

The pop superstars have added kinetic dance floors and energy-storing stationary bikes to their latest world tour, encouraging fans to help power the show as they dance or spin.

It's part of a larger push to make the Music of the Spheres  tour more environmentally friendly. The band — whose songs include the appropriately titled Higher Power  — has pledged to be as sustainable and low-carbon as possible, hoping to cut their CO2 emissions by 50 per cent.

"You don't want to come across as being overly earnest. This stuff is really good fun as well," said bassist Guy Berryman. "That's the way it will bed in, if people see it less as a sort of onerous responsibility and more as a kind of opportunity to do something fun and it's a benefit to the environment and to the whole concert experience."

Each kinetic dance floor can hold dozens of people, with electricity created when movement is made on them. The band has pre-show contests to see which group of fans can generate the most power, fueled by Jump Around  by House of Pain.

And each of the bikes — a minimum of 15 but can be scaled up depending on the venue size — can generate an average of 200 watts of energy, captured in batteries that run elements of the show.

Coldplay is just one music act working to reduce effects of the climate footprints of their tours, a list that includes Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, The Lumineers, Dave Matthews Band, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Lorde, The Chicks, Jason Isbell and The 1975.

"The relationship that musicians have with millions of their fans is unlike any other relationship of any other public figure. It can be a walking, talking example," said Adam Gardner, founder and co-executive director of Reverb, a nonprofit that helps bands make their concerts greener. It is not helping Coldplay's tour.

'A good business model'

The artists are reflecting an overall push in the entertainment sphere — from sports teams to toy manufacturers — to reduce their carbon footprints. A study by Live Nation found 82 per cent of live musicgoers said they strive to maintain an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

"Being green is not a charitable sort of self-flagellating, holier-than-thou exercise. It's a good business model. That's what we'd like to show," said Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin. Added guitarist Jonny Buckland: "It has to work."

• A greener tour? Musicians work toward net-zero emissions on the road

The efforts involve everything from providing more plant-based food options at concessions and eliminating single-use plastic to rethinking transportation — the most environmentally taxing aspect of tours — for both musicians and fans.

Artists pledge to reduce environmental impact

Eilish has pledged to eliminate an estimated 35,000 single-use water bottles from her tour and only serves vegetarian food backstage. The band Massive Attack is traveling by train, and Olivia Rodrigo's Sour  merchandise is sustainably dyed and 100 per cent organic cotton.

• Shawn Mendes launches charitable foundation

Mendes has pledged to reduce his tour's environmental impact and emissions by 50 per cent per show, employing sustainable fabrics in tour hoodies and T-shirts, staying at hotels that commit to net zero emissions, eliminating plastic and using sustainable aviation fuel. Styles' recent tour had battery recycling centres, and it donated unused hotel toiletries to shelters.

Coldplay plans to minimize air travel — but when flights are necessary, the band will opt for commercial over charter — and will use trains and electric vehicles whenever possible. Trucks will use alternative fuels like hydrotreated vegetable oil.

Bumps in the road to change

But change hasn't always gone smoothly. Coldplay has been accused of greenwashing because it has partnered with Neste, which bills itself as the world's largest producer of sustainable biofuels.

Transport and Environment, a Brussels-based environmental organization, said Neste has "documented links to deforestation and dubious biofuels," like palm oil or its byproducts. But Neste responded that "conventional palm oil" was not used as a "raw material" in the Coldplay collaboration and it hopes to end use of conventional palm oil by 2023.

"They're trying their best," said Transport and Environment senior director Carlos Calvo Ambel about Coldplay, "but maybe they picked the wrong consultant."

• Column How to avoid greenwashing in 'sustainable' investing
• Possible palm oil substitute developed by University of Guelph researchers

Reverb, which has helped other bands navigate the complexities of being green since 2004, offers everything from free water stations to sourcing of local organic and family farm food near the venue. The nonprofit has helped avoid the use of four million single-use water bottles since its start, it says.

"Our philosophy is that it's not all or nothing. I think if we force people to do everything all at once, most of them will choose nothing," said Gardner, who is also a touring musician with his band Guster.

"Some artists that we work with are ready to jump in full-on and others are looking at the things that they're able to change right away. And I think the most important thing is to start."

Related Stories

• Federal watchdog warns Canada's 2030 emissions target may not be achievable
• After 2 years in limbo, summer music festivals are back to electrify concertgoers
• Aiming for greener gigs, Coldplay won't tour new album

Coldplay's net zero world tour 2022, featuring Climeworks

Coldplay’s 2022 Music of the Spheres World Tour aims to have a net-zero carbon footprint, the band has said, which will include a partnership with Climeworks, a carbon capture and storage company. 

Founded in 2009, Switzerland, Climeworks helps customers reverse climate change, through removing carbon dioxide from the air with their carbon capture machines. Once captured, the carbon dioxide is either stored safely and permanently away, or it is upcycled into products which require CO2. 

The band Coldplay formed in 1996, London, and have released a range of hits, from floor-filling, feel-good tunes such as Viva la Vida and Sky Full of Stars , in addition to melancholic anthems like The Scientist and Fix You . The new Coldplay album, Music Of The Spheres , which includes a collaboration with BTS on Higher Power , was released today. 

To lower their emissions, Coldplay and Climeworks have listened to The Scientists

In order to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the human population must mitigate its emissions and Coldplay has created a plan for more sustainable concerts:

• The band plans to reduce their tour-related emissions by 50%
• Further emissions will be removed through carbon removal solutions, such as that offered by Climeworks
• At concerts, solar panels will be set up ahead of the show to power the performance
• Fans can choose to hop onto electricity generating power bikes at the concert, which will create more energy
• The stage will be built from sustainable materials, such as bamboo and recycled steel
• LED wristbands will be made from plant-based materials
• The band will plant a tree for every ticket sold

“Playing live and finding connection with people is ultimately why we exist as a band”, Coldplay said in a statement. “We’ve been planning this tour for years, and we’re super excited to play songs from across our whole time together. At the same time, we’re very conscious that the planet is facing a climate crisis. So we’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward. We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It’s a work in progress and we’re really grateful for the help we’ve had so far.”

Climeworks engineers Christoph Gebald and Jan Wurzbacher are thrilled and hope other musicians will follow Coldplay’s example. 

“It is already proven that carbon removal at scale is a must on the current emissions pathway and technological solutions will be needed”, said Christoph Gebald , co-CEO and co-founder of Climeworks. “We are very inspired to see public figures like Coldplay seizing the magnitude of the challenge and acting boldly by working towards ambitious emissions reduction and removing the unavoidable part. Supporting them with our carbon dioxide removal service takes us one step closer to our vision of inspiring 1bn people to remove CO2 from the air.”

How it started: Coldplay decided to become more sustainable in 2019

Back in 2019, Coldplay were deeply moved by the news of people left homeless due to environmental catastrophe. Combined with a dislike for single-use plastic, the band were led to reconsider how they toured. 

"We're taking time out of the next year or two to work out how our tour can be more sustainable", explained lead singer Chris Martin.

Tickets for World of Spheres are out now.

• How Nestlé’s Nescafé is Smashing its Sustainability Targets Sustainability
• Bain & Company Showcase Sustainability of Digital Solutions Sustainability
• One Day to Go Until Sustainability LIVE Dubai 2024 Sustainability
• Bain & Company: Sustainable Circular Manufacturing Sustainability

Featured Articles

We’re LIVE! Sustainability LIVE Dubai

The ultimate virtual event for sustainability & ESG leaders in the Middle East and Africa, Sustainability LIVE Dubai returns in 2024 …

One Day to Go Until Sustainability LIVE Dubai 2024

Don’t miss out on your chance to attend Sustainability LIVE Dubai – the ultimate virtual event for sustainability & ESG leaders in the Middle East & Africa …

Sustainability LIVE New York – One Month to Go

Don’t miss out on your chance to attend Sustainability LIVE New York on 3 and 4 June 2024 – the ultimate virtual event for ESG leaders in the Americas …

Sustainability LIVE Dubai – The Panels

Sustainability LIVE Dubai: One Week to Go

Sustainability LIVE Dubai: The Sustainability Strategy Forum

• Top 100 Women 2024: Paulette Frank, J&J - No. 10
• Sustainability LIVE Celebrated Among the World’s Best Events
• Top 100 Women 2024: Pilar Cruz, Cargill - No. 9
• SUBMISSION EXTENSION: The Global Sustainability & ESG Awards
• Sustainability LIVE Dubai: Meet Our Speaker Line-up for 2024

Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ Tour Drastically Reduces Band’s Carbon Footprint, Sets New Standards in Sustainability

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

• Childish Gambino’s Brilliant ‘Atavista’ Finally Gets Its Day in the Sun: Album Review 10 mins ago
• Childish Gambino Announces ‘New World Tour’ Dates, Drops New Version of ‘3.15.20’ Album and Video 1 day ago
• Dennis Thompson, MC5 Drummer and Last Surviving Member, Dies at 75 5 days ago

Coldplay — along with Billie Eilish , Dave Matthews Band , Jack Johnson and others — are among the most environmentally friendly major touring artists in the world, and the group has provided an update on the sustainability initiatives in their “Music of the Spheres” World Tour, which began in March 2022 and has so far sold more than 7 million tickets.

According to the report, the current tour:

Popular on Variety

– 66% of all tour waste has been diverted from landfills;

– power for the show’s production (audio, lighting, lasers etc.) is provided from an electric battery system that uses 100% renewable energy;

– an average of 86% of the reusable, plant-based LED wristbands used by the audience during the show have been returned;
 

– each show has averaged 15kWh in power generated by in-venue solar installations, kinetic dance floors and power bikes – enough to power the C-stage performance each night and provide the crew with phone, laptop and tool-charging stations;

– 3,770 meals + 73 kg of toiletries has been donated from tour catering to the unhoused and unsheltered;

– 1 solar-powered River Interceptor, deployed in March 2021 in Malaysia via the Ocean Cleanup, has removed 158 tons of waste and 13 tons of ocean-bound plastic from the Klang River;

– Financial support has been provided to environmental organisations including ClientEarth,The Ocean Cleanup, Climeworks, Sea Shepherd, Project Seagrass, Sustainable Food Trust, Cleaner Seas Group, Food Forest Project, Knowledge Pele, Conservation Collective and others.

For more information, see  coldplay.com/emissions-update .

The band’s efforts have been assessed and validated by Professor John E. Fernandez of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Environmental Solutions Initiative, who said: “We fully endorse this effort as critically important, scientifically rigorous and of the highest quality. The band deserves significant praise in commissioning the work and acting as the vanguard for the global music industry.”

When we first announced the Music of the Spheres Tour, we hoped to make it as environmentally beneficial as possible and reduce our direct carbon emissions (from show production, freight, band and crew travel) by 50%. We’d like to share how it’s been going; some things work and some things need improving.

The emissions data from the first 12 months of the tour has now been collated, assessed and independently validated by Prof. John E. Fernandez of the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.

On a show-by-show comparison, the Music Of The Spheres Tour has so far produced 47% less CO2e emissions than our last stadium tour (2016-17). 

This is a good start – and something that our incredible crew should be very proud of – but clearly there’s still room for improvement.

Now that we’re into the second year of the tour, we’ve started to run the entire show (audio, lights, lasers etc) from an electric battery system that allows us to use 100% renewable energy as efficiently as possible. We have been using electric vehicles and alternative fuels wherever we can, as well as reducing waste and plastic usage to a minimum.

Thankyou to all the brilliant people and creative minds who’ve helped us so far.

Thankyou too, SO MUCH, to everyone who’s come to a show and made all of this possible. You have helped charge the show batteries on the power bikes and kinetic dance floors; travelled to shows by foot, bicycle or public transport; used the recycling bins; ride-shared; brought refillable water bottles; returned the LED wristbands after the show. And just by coming you have had a tree planted, and helped a range of environmental organisations like the Ocean Cleanup and ClientEarth (a team of lawyers who defend the environment). 

Thank you all and hopefully this time next year we will have made big improvements. If anyone has any ideas please feel free to send them via this link .

With love, Coldplay

More From Our Brands

Watch graham nash’s surprise performance of ‘our house’ at carnegie hall csn tribute, car of the week: this concours-ready 1965 ferrari could fetch $2 million at auction, the brewing battle for the wnba’s soul, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, dune: part two gets max release date — and it’s soon, verify it's you, please log in.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

How Coldplay are making their new tour eco-friendly with a little push from their fans

From kinetic dance floors and stationary bikes to reforestation pledges, here's how the rockers are making their Music of the Spheres concerts as green as possible.

Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled.

It's hard to make a global music tour environmentally friendly, but Coldplay are putting in the effort. When the band announced their new tour to support their most recent album, Music of the Spheres , they made several environmental pledges and announced sustainability initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible.

Coldplay's efforts are based around three principles, according to their website : Reduce (as in, "reduce our consumption, recycle extensively and cut our CO2 emissions by 50 percent"), Reinvent ("support new green technologies and develop sustainable, super-low carbon touring methods"), and Restore ("make the tour as environmentally beneficial by funding a portfolio of nature- and technology-based projects and by drawing down significantly more CO2 than the tour produces").

The Associated Press was on the ground at Coldplay's recent tour stop in Glendale, Ariz., to see some of these new green technologies in action. Coldplay's concert setup now includes kinetic dance floors and stationary bikes that can channel energy directly from the fans in the crowd into batteries that power different elements of the show.

"You don't want to come across as being overly earnest. This stuff is really good fun as well," Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman told the AP's Mark Kennedy. "That's the way it will bed in, if people see it less as a sort of onerous responsibility and more as a kind of opportunity to do something fun."

If those efforts aren't enough, the band has also pledged to plant and protect millions of new trees — including one for every ticket sold.

Related content:

• Coldplay of the cosmos: How the band's galactic album Music of the Spheres blasted off
• Watch Coldplay's out-of-this-world (literally) debut of new song 'Higher Power'
• Your guide to 2022's biggest tours

Related Articles

Coldplay Announce Music Of The Spheres World Tour

BAND REVEAL 2022 DATES ALONGSIDE PLEDGE TO MAKE TOUR AS SUSTAINABLE AND LOW-CARBON AS POSSIBLE

U.s. dates go on sale friday, october 22 at 10am local time.

On the eve of their new album,  Music Of The Spheres , Coldplay have today announced an accompanying global stadium tour in 2022.

The  Music Of The Spheres World Tour  begins on 18 March 2022 with the band’s first ever show in  Costa Rica , before travelling to the  Dominican Republic ,  Mexico ,  USA ,  Germany ,  Poland ,  France ,  Belgium  and the  UK . 

The full list of shows is available below and at coldplay.com/tour. Support at the majority of shows will come from  H.E.R. , with  London Grammar  supporting at selected dates.

Tickets for all U.S. dates will go on sale to the general public starting Friday, October 22 at 10am local time at  Ticketmaster.com .

To ensure tickets get into the hands of fans directly, the tour will also have a Verified Fan presale available for all U.S. dates. Registration for U.S. tour dates is available now  HERE  through Sunday, October 17th at 6pm PT/9pm ET via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program. Verified Fan presale begins Wednesday, October 20 at 10am local time through Thursday, October 21 at 10pm local time. 

The band have already teased that more dates will follow soon.

SUSTAINABILITY PLAN ‘A WORK IN PROGRESS’

SHOW POWERED BY 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY

PLEDGE TO CUT TOUR EMISSIONS BY 50%

ONE TREE PLANTED FOR EVERY TICKET SOLD

In 2019, Coldplay committed to making their future tours  as environmentally beneficial as possible , and today’s announcement is accompanied by a comprehensive set of sustainability initiatives and environmental commitments. 

Full details can be seen at  coldplay.com/sustainability , including commitments to:

• cut direct emissions by 50% compared to the band’s most recent tour (2016-17).
• power the show entirely by renewable, super-low emission energy – with solar installations at every venue, waste cooking oil, a kinetic stadium floor and kinetic bikes powered by fans. This power will be stored in the first ever mobile, rechargeable show battery (made from recyclable BMW i3 batteries).
• draw down significantly more CO2 than the tour produces with a range of nature- and technology-based solutions, including planting one tree for every ticket sold.
• provide each venue with a sustainability rider requesting best environmental practices.
• encourage fans to use low carbon transport to and from shows via the official tour app built by SAP, rewarding those who do with a discount at venues.
• ensure all merchandise is sustainably and ethically sourced.
• offer free drinking water and strive to eliminate plastic bottles at every venue.
• put 10% of all earnings into a fund for environmental and socially-conscious causes, including ClientEarth, One Tree Planted and The Ocean Cleanup.
• establish a partnership with climate change experts at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment to quantify the impact of the tour – both positively and negatively – on the environment
• together with Green Nation, Live Nation’s sustainability platform, Coldplay will be a special artist advisor, ensuring the sustainable practices developed on this tour are shared, adopted and scaled through the rest of the live touring industry. 

Credit: James Marcus Haney

Coldplay said: 

“Playing live and finding connection with people is ultimately why we exist as a band. We’ve been planning this tour for years, and we’re super excited to play songs from across our whole time together.

At the same time, we’re very conscious that the planet is facing a climate crisis. So we’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward. We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It’s a work in progress and we’re really grateful for the help we’ve had so far. 

If you’d like to come to a show and sing with us, we’re so excited to see you.”

MUSIC OF THE SPHERES WORLD TOUR 2022

18: San Jose, CR – Estadio Nacional (Support: TBA)

22: Santo Domingo, DR – Estadio Olímpico (Support: TBA)

25: Monterrey, MX – Estadio BBVA (Support: H.E.R.)

29: Guadalajara, MX – Estadio Akron (Support: H.E.R.)

3: Mexico City, MX – Foro Sol (Support: H.E.R.)

23: Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

26: Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

3: Phoenix, AZ – State Farm Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

6: Dallas, TX – Cotton Bowl Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

8: Houston, TX – NRG Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

28: Chicago, IL – Soldier Field (Support: H.E.R.)

1: Washington, DC – FedExField (Support: H.E.R.)

4: East Rutherford, NJ – Metlife Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

8: Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field (Support: H.E.R.)

11: Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

14: Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

2: Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park (Support: H.E.R.)

3: Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park (Support: H.E.R.)

8: Warsaw, PL – PGE Narodowy (Support: H.E.R.)

10: Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion Berlin (Support: London Grammar)

12: Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion Berlin (Support: H.E.R.)

16: Paris, FR – Stade de France (Support: H.E.R.)

17: Paris, FR – Stade de France (Support: H.E.R.)

5: Brussels, BE – King Baudouin Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

6: Brussels, BE – King Baudouin Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

12: London, UK – Wembley Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

13: London, UK – Wembley Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

16: London, UK – Wembley Stadium (Support: London Grammar)

23: Glasgow, UK – Hampden Park Stadium (Support: H.E.R.)

10: Rio De Janeiro, BR – Rock in Rio Festival 

Read more about

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Coldplay pledge 50% lower CO2 emissions on 2022 world tour

Band announce a range of initiatives to reduce energy consumption, including stadium floors that harness fans’ kinetic energy

Coldplay have announced a new world tour, and with it a range of initiatives designed to mitigate its environmental impact.

The band have pledged to cut CO2 emissions by 50% compared with their 2016-17 world tour, and “almost entirely” use renewable energy to power their stage show.

A “kinetic floor” will be installed so that the energy created by fans during the show can be harnessed; solar panels will be installed on the floors, stage and elsewhere in open-air stadiums as soon as the band arrive, to generate power in the run-up to the show. Battery and mains power will also be drawn from renewable sources. The stage itself will be built from reusable and sustainable materials including bamboo and recycled steel.

The route of the tour has been designed to minimise flights, and the band will pay a surcharge for more sustainable air fuel.

Fans who commit to low-carbon travel, proven via an app, will get discounts at the venues. At least one tree will be planted for every ticket sold, and the band will monitor how fans travel to the shows based on info volunteered to the app, calculate the emissions, and pledge to “drawdown” those emissions through “rewilding and conservation”.

The light-up wristbands worn by fans – a key part of Coldplay’s shows – will be made of compostable materials and many will be reused, with production of the wristbands reduced by 80%. The confetti used will be biodegradable, and the band will “strive to eliminate the sale of single-use plastic water bottles”.

The band said: “The planet is facing a climate crisis. So we’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward. We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn.”

The 30-date tour begins in Costa Rica on 18 March, and will travel to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the US, several countries in continental Europe and the UK, finishing in Brazil. The UK dates are three nights at Wembley Stadium in August, with another at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Coldplay release a new album on Friday, Music of the Spheres, whose bright pop aesthetic is a marked change in tone from their previous album Everyday Life.

The band did not tour that 2019 album, instead playing a handful of one-off concerts. Frontman Chris Martin explained : “We’re taking time over the next year or two, to work out how our tour can not only be sustainable [but] how can it be actively beneficial. All of us have to work out the best way of doing our job.”

The music industry has been reckoning with its substantial carbon output from touring, generated by transporting not just bands but large stage sets and crews from continent to continent.

Massive Attack recently commissioned a University of Manchester report on touring, which called on artists to stop using private flights, and for festivals and venues to reduce the intensity of their electricity use.

UK independent music labels such as Ninja Tune and the Beggars Group of labels, including XL and 4AD, have recently made pledges concerning manufacturing, business travel and energy use.

Harry Styles, Tame Impala, Pink and the 1975 are among the artists who have partnered with the organisation Reverb for their tours. Reverb encourages attendees not to use single-use plastic, and calculates the carbon emissions of a tour to fund “global projects that directly eliminate an equivalent amount of greenhouse gas pollution”. Such offsetting projects have been criticised, however, as being much less desirable than not emitting CO2 in the first place.

• Pop and rock
• Climate crisis
• Emissions trading

Most viewed

Net-zero: How Coldplay plans to make its 2022 world tour climate-positive

Kaycee Enerva

Coldplay has pledged to make its next world tour , Music of the Spheres, as sustainable as possible, aiming to have a net-zero carbon footprint and make the concerts climate positive – reducing emissions more than the carbon it produces.

In 2019, the British band announced that it was quitting touring until they could find ways to do it more sustainably. 

“We’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward,” said Coldplay in a statement.

Net-zero carbon footprint

Swiss company Climeworks , whose machines remove and store carbon dioxide from the air and use it in commercial products such as chips or carbonated drinks, will provide the carbon removal technology in the plan.

Climeworks said Coldplay chose to use its technological approach to carbon capture because the band was “convinced by its permanence and measurable benefits”.

“It is already proven that carbon removal at scale is a must on the current emissions pathway, and technological solutions will be needed,” said Christoph Gerald, CEO and co-founder, Climeworks.

“We are very inspired to see public figures like Coldplay seizing the magnitude of the challenge and acting boldly by working towards ambitious emissions reduction and removing the unavoidable part.”

In addition, the tour will fund the reforestation and lifelong protection of new trees by including one tree for every ticket sold.

“We have set ourselves a science-led target of 50 per cent reduction in our CO2 emissions using the ‘absolute contraction’ method,” said Coldplay.

“We pledge to drawdown any unavoidable emissions according to the Oxford Principles for Net-Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting.”

Sustainable Energy and Transport

Coldplay aims for a 50-per-cent reduction in emissions compared to its last tour in 2016. To achieve this, the concerts would be powered with fully renewable energy from solar installations, cooking oil waste, a kinetic stadium floor, and electricity-generating power bikes that fans can use to help power the show’s rechargeable battery.

The tour’s rechargeable mobile battery is a first-of-its-kind, created in partnership with BMW using recyclable BMW i3 batteries.

To reduce transport emissions, the band will avoid charter flights and pay a surcharge to use and supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) made from renewable waste materials.

The show has committed to using only local equipment and materials to minimise freight emissions, while the stage will be built from low-carbon, reusable materials, including recycled steel and bamboo. 

Fans are encouraged to use low-carbon transport to and from the shows via an official tour app that rewards them with discounts. Furthermore, each venue will provide a “sustainability rider” to set out the best environmental practices.

Cold Play’s Net-Zero World Tour Impact

The band said they are aware that despite their best efforts, the tour will still have a significant carbon footprint. That’s why they committed to drawing down more carbon dioxide than the tour will produce through nature-based projects such as reforestation, rewilding, soil generation, carbon capture, and renewable energy. 

They also partnered with climate change researchers at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute to quantify the tour’s impact on the environment. 

“We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It’s a work in progress, and we’re grateful for the help we’ve had so far,” the band concluded. 

The Music of the Spheres world tour will start in Costa Rica on March 18 and then travel to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the US, Germany, Poland, France, Belgium and the UK. 

Full details of the sustainability plan are available on the band’s official website.

Coca-Cola introduces a 100-per-cent plant-based bottle

Two taiwan scientists are changing the taste of vegan alt-meat.

• Pingback: SciFi Foods' hybrid meat manufacturing plant ready for commercial production - Viable Earth
• Pingback: Can carbon offsetting change the world – or is it merely greenwashing? - Viable Earth
• Pingback: Kickstarter campaign launched for aspiring net-negative Eco-jacket maker Pangea - Viable Earth

Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

Coldplay's Low-Carbon World Tour

Coldplay made history with monumental steps towards sustainability on their 2022 Music Of The Spheres World Tour. As one of the world’s most beloved and influential bands, they’re creating a playbook to change the future of live music. 

After working with Coldplay’s team from day one of planning for the tour, their sustainability ambitions inspired us at Live Nation to create a brand new role at the company dedicated to supporting the implementation of sustainable practices on the road throughout the tour. The new Green Nation Touring representative role has continued to support other Green Nation tours.

Some of the greatest hits include: 

47% reduction in direct CO2 emissions per show compared to previous tours 

66% of all show waste being diverted from landfills 

10 partnerships with green travel providers — including public transportation, eBike and eScooter rentals, and rideshare providers

Electric battery system charged by renewable energy used to power the stage

Tour trucks fueled with lower carbon biofuels wherever available

Coldplay also engaged in key partnerships to drive impact. The band worked with One Tree Planted to create a restorative impact for nature by planting one tree for every ticket sold on the Music Of The Spheres World Tour and through proceeds of all individual tee sales. As of June 2023, Coldplay and One Tree Planted have added 9M trees to our environment.

Check out Coldplay's website for more information on their ongoing sustainability efforts, including contributions to foundations like Client Earth, Global Citizen, The Ocean Cleanup, and more .

Artists Featured

Get Our Newsletter

Sign up now for weekly updates on your favorite artists, music releases, live streams, content, and more.

• Environment
• Road to Net Zero
• Art & Design
• Film & TV
• Music & On-stage
• Pop Culture
• Fashion & Beauty
• Home & Garden
• Things to do
• Combat Sports
• Horse Racing
• Beyond the Headlines
• Trending Middle East
• Business Extra
• Culture Bites
• Year of Elections
• Pocketful of Dirhams
• Books of My Life
• Iraq: 20 Years On

Coldplay’s eco-friendly 2022 world tour: from kinetic dance floors to plant-based meals

The band aims for music of the spheres tour to cut emissions by 50 per cent from its previous events.

Singer Chris Martin of Coldplay. AP

When Coldplay decided not to tour their album Everyday Life , it may have resulted in the 2019 release to relatively sink without a trace but it laid the seeds for what could be a pioneering move for the live music industry.

In announcing their absence, the UK band cited a need to investigate ways to make concert tours environmentally sustainable and carbon neutral. For the past two years the band engaged the services of consultant Paul Schurink, the founder of Zap Concepts, to co-design a world tour in 2022 that cuts their direct emissions by 50 per cent, compared with the previous 2016-2017 tour.

Speaking at the XP Music Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Dutchman outlined the various ways the group intend to keep their arena and stadium concerts sustainable without sacrificing the power of the performances.

With the first seven months of shows announced, Schurink confirms the Music of the Spheres tour – named after this year’s new album and beginning in Costa Rica on March 18 – will have the quartet on the road for their longest stretch to date.

“It will not be a one or two-year tour,” he said. “It will probably be three or five years.”

Schurink explained the itinerary will be painstakingly planned to limit transport emissions. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean a potential residency, rather than a tour of many multiple cities.

"It is always a trade-off and a compromise to find the best solutions,” he said. “But the fact the band are thinking about it always and working with experts when it comes to that shows that they are doing a pretty good job so far.”

All in the details

Coldplay’s sustainability tour plan examines everything from power usage and materials sourced to build the stage to the kind of food and beverages served.

Schurink said the measures, broadly outlined on Coldplay’s website, are the result of various workshops with the tour’s stakeholders, from the band to venue operators.

“These conversations are not always smooth, especially with the creative teams because there is always that friction between creativity and sustainability,” he recalled. “But I think that is good. I welcome that friction because it is from that energy that we get best results.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coldplay (@coldplay)

Whether working on a large scale entertainment or corporate events, Schurink said he approaches each project from the same starting point, and the good news, Schurink said, is that nearly half of the reductions can be made quickly.

"I am what you call a power freak. Every event or festival I attend I look around and I always see so many ways lights and equipment are unnecessarily used or at full power. I am talking about having lights on during the day, for example," he said.

"I would say that almost every event you can save up to 40 per cent of your energy consumption that doesn't add anything to the show or performances. No one will notice and this is immediately a big win and you don't need to be too technical to do this."

Then again, a Coldplay production has more than its fair share of power sockets and the new tour will feature a detailed list of what is plugged and where.

"We do a full inventory of the show in that every single [piece of] equipment that has a plug on it is known by us so we can know how much energy is needed," Schurink said.

"Once we know we can then bring exactly enough energy to have maximum efficiency.

“And that's another thing that is underestimated, in that most events, the total generation capacity – whether diesel or grid connections or whatever – are three to eight times more than that is needed.”

A sustainable stage and menu

In addition to powering the show almost entirely with renewable energy, the stage will undergo some tweaking.

The performance platform will be built from a combination of lightweight, low-carbon and reusable materials (such as bamboo and recycled steel) and decrease freight emissions.

Certain sections of fans will also be in for a treat when the band unveil their “kinetic floor” as part of the new tour.

Installed in and around the venue, the movement of the audience will be registered and converted to energy contributing to power the show. As an inducement, the band's set-list should feature its fair share of up-tempo numbers to literally keep the energy high.

The group's last concert on December 8 in London, for instance, began with new hit single Higher Power before locking into the barreling Clocks and Viva La Vida within the first 20 minutes.

Changes will also be made to the food and beverage options for tour officials on-site, with an in-house menu featuring plant-based and meat free options, as well as organic produce sourced from local suppliers practicing sustainable techniques.

"We are also working on the tour merchandise to make it more thoughtful," Schurink said. "It doesn't make sense to sell people something which they will only use for a couple of minutes and throw it way. Either it is good or useful or we just won’t sell it.”

While Schurink can’t guarantee the Music of the Spheres tour will achieve its stated goal, he said time is on the band’s side when it comes to hitting the right ecological note.

"While we did have a preparation time for almost of two and a half years and thought about all the things that can go wrong, well, things will go wrong and that's for sure," he said. "We didn't solve all the sustainability issues, but the sustainability plan will be constantly improved and we will add more initiatives to it.”

Synchedin Blog

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres Tour to be Net-Zero

Coldplay announced a hiatus from touring in 2019 due to concerns around sustainability. Their newly announced Music of the Spheres tour addresses these issues, but how?

Coldplay’s latest tour, which will kick off in March 2022, has been designed to be “at minimum” net-zero in relation to its carbon footprint. A combination of measures will be put into place to ensure this goal is met. Kinetic dance floors and electricity-producing exercise bikes will be available for fans to power the show’s battery. A tree planted for every ticket sold, plus sets built from sustainable and recycled materials, will all go towards the effort.

Taking a progressive approach to the issue of carbon emissions involved in touring, the band have partnered with the Swiss company Climeworks . The company builds machines which take carbon dioxide from the air, carefully storing it, so it can be used commercially at a later date.

The Music of the Spheres tour aims to meet a 50% reduction in carbon footprint based on Coldplay’s previous tour in 2016/17.

“We pledge to drawdown any unavoidable emissions according to the Oxford Principles for Net-Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting.”

Solar installations and the use of waste cooking oil will also go towards powering the shows. Chartered flights will also be avoided, as far as transport is concerned. The band have also pledged to pay a surcharge to use or supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a renewable fuel.

Coldplay’s shows are known for their colourful and vibrant production. There will still be plenty of impressive flames and bright confetti, but these will be sustainable and biodegradable, respectively.

A full breakdown, detailing the reinvention of the touring cycle, can be found on the band’s website . Not only do they aim to fully minimise the carbon footprint of touring, they have set out to make it “environmentally beneficial”.

A host of natural measures have been promised too, including marine conservation efforts and rewilding.

Whilst the band admits it can’t do everything perfectly, they have stated they are committed to changing everything they can in the name of sustainability.

90% of carbon emissions related to music touring comes from transport. Whilst flying is unavoidable, the use of renewable fuel is a step in the right direction. If these methods prove to be viable, net-zero touring could become standard practice. Although, how far in the future that may be is unclear.

Related Posts

• New Threads App Gets Over 100m Sign Ups in First Week

YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program Launched – Helps Creators Monetize Their Videos with Product Sales

Streamlabs Launches Free Podcast Editor for Twitch and YouTube Creators

How to Negotiate a Sync Music License

Recent Posts

• How to Vlog Confidently | Getting Over Feeling Weird
• From Idea to Execution | Crafting Compelling Video Concepts
• Connect with Your Audience | The Power of Personal Stories
• The Magic of Collaboration | Supercharge Your Content
• Finding Inspiration Beyond Your Comfort Zone | Exploring New Creative Territories
• 7 Self-Care Tips for Swamped Content Creators
• What Is Storyboarding & How Do You Craft One?
• Meta Expands Bonus Program to Pay Creators for Facebook Posts
• Twitch Announces Partner Plus Program – Smaller Live Streamers to get Bigger Cut of Subscriptions

Random Posts

How to Get on the For You Page on TikTok

What is Synchedin?

TikTok Watch History Helps Rediscover Old Favourites

NFT FAQs | What Is an NFT & How do They Work?

Filming in Snow | How to Protect Your Gear

Hit enter to search or ESC to close.

The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

• Coldplay Prepares for Net-Zero Music Tour
• Environment & Sustainability

15 October 2021

Coldplay’s 2022 tour will have a net-zero carbon footprint, working in conjunction with direct air capture specialists, Climeworks.

The British band is aiming to reduce their tour-related emissions by 50 per cent, the remaining unavoidable emissions will be removed by a portfolio of carbon removal solutions.

Coldplay has selected Climeworks’ direct air capture and storage as the only technological approach included.

Other measures include reforestation, soil restoration, rewilding, blue carbon projects, such as seagrass meadow restoration, sustainable aviation fuels and Climeworks’ direct air capture and storage solution.

"We’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward. We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It’s a work in progress and we’re really grateful for the help we’ve had so far." – Coldplay Statement

In 2019, the band publicly raised their concerns over the environmental impact of their concerts, telling BBC News that “We're taking time over the next year or two, to work out how our tour can not only be sustainable [but] how can it be actively beneficial."

In an official statement, Coldplay said that as well as their carbon goals , as part of their pledge the tour will fund the planting – and lifelong protection of – millions of new trees, including one tree for every tour ticket sold.

The band’s first date will be on 18 March 2022 in San Jose, California.

The band commented: “Playing live and finding connection with people is ultimately why we exist as a band. We’ve been planning this tour for years, and we’re super excited to play songs from across our whole time together. At the same time, we’re very conscious that the planet is facing a climate crisis.

“So we’ve spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour’s potential to push things forward. We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It’s a work in progress and we’re really grateful for the help we’ve had so far."

About Orca - Direct Air Capture

Leading scientific studies indicate that by mid-century 10 billion tons of CO 2  will need to be removed from the air every year to keep global warming in line of the limits of the Paris Agreement.

Climeworks’ direct air capture and storage is a scalable solution that can remove CO 2  from the air in a permanent and measurable way. Orca, Climeworks’ largest direct air capture and storage plant began operations at the start of September 2021.

Picture: a photograph of the Climeworks air capture plant

The plant has the capacity to capture 4,000 tons of CO 2  per year, which will be removed from the air safely and stored permanently through the Carbfix natural mineralization process.

Picture: a photograph from a Coldplay concert, showing the stage and the crowd

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 15 October 2021

Related Tags

• Climate Change
• Entertainment Venues

Related Articles

How exaggerated are net-zero corporate claims.

The carbon reduction targets of 25 of the world’s largest companies have been scrutinised in the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor report. As consumers,...

EMEX 2021 Preview – Less Than Six Weeks To Go

EMEX is back for an in-person event on 24 and 25 November 2021 at the ExCeL Centre in London, empowering the UK’s largest community of leading sustainability,...

Geopolitics of Energy – Who Has the Power?

Power delivered to our homes, institutions and businesses via the gas pipeline network or electricity grid is the result of highly complex international politics,...

EMEX 2021 - Speaker Highlights

With just weeks to go until EMEX, the net-zero and energy management expo, ThisWeekinFM takes a look at just some of the interesting speakers presenting at the...

Festival of Sustainable Business Returns

After a two-year hiatus, The Festival of Sustainable Business returns to the Bristol Hotel on 21 September 2021. With sustainability high on the corporate agenda and a...

JLL Defines 5 Ways Real Estate Will be Greener in 2025

Dr. Marie Puybaraud from JLL looks at five areas where real estate leaders expect to see big shifts in the next few years. Addressing climate change directly is now...

Carbon Savings From One Virtual Conference Could Power 17 Homes For a Year

The carbon saving from just one virtual conference could power 17 homes for a year. Research from Ezra, a provider of digital coaching, has revealed how UK...

Banks to Be Tested on Key Climate Change Scenarios

The Bank of England is to test banks and insurers on how resilient they would be in the event of extreme climate change scenarios. The Climate Biennial...

Mitie Commits To Plan Zero

Simon King, Mitie's new Director of Sustainability, is behind the company's “Plan Zero” commitment to reach zero carbon by 2025 –  which...

Greenest Building In London Gets The Green Light

Citicape House, featuring Europe's largest living wall has been approved by the City of London.  Under the plans, the project will be developed into a new...

Finalists Announced

The only award recognising the front of house receptionists in the Corporate sector. Click Image To Read More

Do Businesses Recognise The Value Of FM: A Q&A

This month, as we celebrate World FM Day, we had the opportunity to sit down with Paul Bryan, Head of Sales at SEE Services, to delve into the challenges encountered by FM professionals and explore potential solutions. Click Image To Read More

Rinnai Warms Up The Bonny Banks Of Holiday Lodges On Loch Lomond

Rinnai 1600e continuous flow water heaters, powered by LPG, have been installed in accommodation units at an off-grid holiday park on the banks of Scotland’s Loch Lomond, the UK’s biggest body of freshwater at just over 36 kilometres long​. Click Image To Read More

Rinnai Checks In To Heathrow Hotel With Energy Efficiency And High Performance On Hot Water Heating

Recently the hotel updated its heating and hot water system to its seventy bedrooms, leisure & spa centre and Michelin starred kitchens using Rinnai Hydrogen blend ready 20% continuous flow water heaters. Click Image To Read More

What Will The Proposed 23% Reduction In Electricity Costs Really Mean?

As the UK moves towards a general election both the opposition party and current UK government are viewing energy costs as a weapon that can be used to attract electoral ballots. Click Image To Read More

Industry Insight: Electrifying Food Deliveries

Gordon Kam discusses how SEE-V is supporting a leading retailer develop a charging solution for their distribution centre. Click Image To Read More

Energy Transition Update

ThisWeekinFM Guest Editor, Daniel Lynn, has collected news items that are representative of an active global green energy transition. Click Image To Read More

Drop-In Renewable Liquid Fuels Could Transform Off-Grid Heating and DHW For Building Services And Consultants

Rinnai’s Chris Goggin looks ahead to the advent of renewable liquid fuels in the mass markets. Click Image To Read More

All Lifts Can Become SMART!

One of the most important assets in buildings & SMART building are lifts but there has never really been a fully universal IOT solution to monitor passenger lifts...until now. Click Image To Read More

FM Qualifications at the College of Central London

Qualifications are essential to gaining recognition and respect. Our mission is to provide skills and knowledge to help you achieve success in IWFM level 5 and 6. Click Image To Read More

With Coldplay’s eco-friendly tour, music is again at the forefront of progressive ideas

The band are set to embark on one of the most carbon-neutral tours ever, a move that may inspire and encourage other huge acts to follow suit

Trains of schoolchildren in the museums of the future will trudge past statues and tributes to the most significant, well-known and celebrated figures in world history – Churchill, Edison, Darwin, Corden – and stop at the grand centrepiece. A 30-foot replica, cast in condensed avocado and quinoa by classical master Banksy (history’s most shocking and elaborate Rickroll)… of Chris Martin, the man who sparked the Environmental Revolution that dominated the 2020s and saved the entire planet from extinction.

• READ MORE:  On the cover – Coldplay: “This is our period of having no fear”

You think we jest? Think again. Last week, Coldplay announced that they were going to make their forthcoming world tour as ecologically friendly as possible – reducing carbon emissions by powering the show from bicycles and electricity-producing dancefloors, building sets from bamboo, planting a tree for every ticket sold and other such measures.

They’re not the first band to aim for net-zero touring. Radiohead ’s 2008 tour around ‘In Rainbows’ was as carbon neutral as they could make it at the time. Massive Attack have been working with climate scientists to explore ways to put on “super low carbon” events. Both Billie Eilish and The Dave Matthews Band had been planning eco-friendly tours for 2020 before COVID decided to make them entirely sustainable by confining each of them to one luxurious gazebo in California.

The fuck-it-let’s-just-stay-at-home approach to saving the planet had been Coldplay’s, too, when they decided not to tour ‘Everyday Life’ in 2019 out of environmental concerns, but ultimately hiding away from a problem does nothing to solve it. The example and precedent they set by doing everything in their power to offset the emissions of their tour goes a long way towards inspiring/encouraging/virtue-shaming other huge global acts into following suit. Surely it’ll be but a matter of months before Rammstein work out a way to remain carbon neutral by firing gigantic vapes at the front row.

Coldplay’s move might seem tokenistic, a drop in the ocean or ‘greenwashing’ (another of Twitter’s bottomless supply of new ways to be inadvertently offensive), but history tells us that music often works as a loudhailer at the barricades of social change. From Nina Simone ’s ‘Mississippi Goddam’, Dylan ’s ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’’ and The Beatles ‘ ‘All You Need Is Love’ to The Specials ‘ ‘Free Nelson Mandela’, Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, Public Enemy ‘s ‘Fight The Power’ and Childish Gambino ‘s ‘This Is America’, music is where radical and progressive ideas of equality, justice and hope become popularised and embedded in common practice and culture.

If Coldplay’s stand means carbon neutrality becomes the expected norm in touring, and then in other industries too, maybe we won’t have to wait for the fossil fuel companies to run out of money for political backhanders before the world gets saved.

Of course, as Coldplay admit, they can’t do everything in the name of net-zero. Asking venues to install aerated taps and low-flushing toilets might make permanent improvements to those that comply, but studies have shown that the vast majority of touring emissions – often over 90 per cent – come from the travelling involved. Coldplay’s plans only go so far as to pledge to minimise air travel and use “sustainable aviation fuel” where flying is unavoidable.

Recommended

“We don’t have any argument against that,” Martin told the BBC of the criticism the band have received for continuing to fly, but there’s an easy solution staring them in the face. Everyone on commercial flights, tubes and trains is currently supposed to be covering their face with a mask, a practice that most sensible folk will undoubtedly carry on well into 2022. So surely just investing in a fake beard, shades and a cap will allow Martin to travel to every gig and every territory, entirely un-hassled, by public transport and regular flights rather than private jet, at a tiny fraction of the carbon footprint? It’ll even give him a thrilling insight into what it’s like back in the normal world.

Their idea to have the show powered by people jumping up and down on a modified dancefloor is genius, albeit one that gives free reign for BTS to have all the carbon-offset pyro that money can buy while Neil Young is condemned forever to play by wind-up torch. But there’s also so much more that could be done to make stadium and arena shows more carbon effective.

The punters’ tuts at the beer prices could be captured by tiny turbines in the pumps, thereby powering all the bars in the building for free. The pent-up testosterone of most rock gigs could be harnessed by installing giant electricity cranks in circle pits, making the song louder or quieter depending on how hard the crowd rages. And anyone caught ‘discarding’ a plastic glass full of dubious liquid by flinging it over the heads of the hundreds of people in front of them could be strapped to a treadmill and forced to power the rest of the show single-handed, thereby ensuring at least 12 encores.

From tiny gestures like this, great change can come. Let Coldplay’s new touring tenets become the minimum expectations for major bands, and let music show wider society the way once more. Don’t be surprised if your grandchildren are taught of the Great Coldplay Climate Revival and get awarded the Chris Martin Medal Of Puppy-Like Global Salvation.

• Related Topics
• Billie Eilish
• Massive Attack

You May Also Like

Inside the raging debate to watch eurovision 2024: “this feels bigger than the contest”, steve albini, 1962-2024: engineer who shaped rock’s most visceral moments, nme celebrated a year of the cover with a killer party in singapore – here’s what went down, ‘kingdom of the planet of the apes’ review: more maniacal monkeys in a middling sequel, borislav slavov on scoring ‘baldur’s gate 3’ and what’s next: “we’re just warming up”, more stories, watch dutch tv show’s cutting parody song of joost klein’s eurovision disqualification, watch taylor swift play ‘hey stephen’ and ‘maroon’ at eras tour in paris, u2’s bono: “coldplay are not a rock band. i hope that’s obvious”, finland’s “naked” eurovision act windows95man draws comparison to bart simpson, taylor swift fans hit out after baby brought into pit of paris show, here’s every city childish gambino will perform in for the ‘new world’ tour.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

• clientearth
• globalcitizen

.cls-1{fill:url(#linear-gradient)}.cls-2{fill:url(#linear-gradient-2)}.cls-3{fill:url(#linear-gradient-3)}.cls-4{fill:url(#linear-gradient-4)}.cls-5{fill:url(#linear-gradient-5)}.cls-6{fill:url(#linear-gradient-6)}.cls-7{fill:url(#linear-gradient-7)}.cls-8{fill:url(#linear-gradient-8)} Music of the Spheres Coldplay - Music of the Spheres World Tour

Olympic Stadium

Olympic stadium (extra date), arena națională, arena națională (extra date), puskás aréna, puskás aréna (extra date), groupama stadium, groupama stadium (extra date), glastonbury festival, pilton, somerset, stadio olimpico, stadio olimpico (extra date), merkur spiel-arena, merkur spiel-arena (extra date), olympiastadion (extra date), olympiastadion, ernst-happel-stadion, ernst-happel-stadion (extra date), croke park (extra date), marvel stadium, marvel stadium (extra date), accor stadium, accor stadium (extra date), eden park (extra date), eden park (extra date), the two april 2022 shows at la's sofi stadium have been postponed until 2023. new dates tbc..

CNN values your feedback

Hollywood minute: coldplay streaming concert.

'.concat(e,"

'.concat(i,"

\n ').concat(n,'\n

\n ').concat(t,'\n

This page will automatically redirect in 5 seconds...

').concat(o).concat(n,"