MIT Climate Machine Releases Report on Total US and UK Live Music Emissions

The study was supported by Coldplay, Warner Music Group, Live Nation, and Hope Solutions.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Climate Machine has shared its first in-depth report on carbon emissions produced by live music in the US and UK. The study is based on data gathered in 2023.

Background:

80,000 events across the US and the UK were analyzed.
The report explores various aspects of the industry, including trucking, energy, food and beverage consumption, water, waste, fan travel, artist and crew travel, accommodation, and freight.
Live music accounts for 0.2% of total emissions in the US and 1.1% in the UK.

Key findings:

Fan travel is the largest producer of carbon emissions, making up 77% in the UK and 62% in the US.
Food and beverage is second with 16.9% in the US and 7.6% in the UK, due mostly to animal-based products. Switching to plant-based food could reduce emissions by over 40%.
Trucking for tours makes up 14% of U.S. emissions, and air freight produces 35% in the UK.
MIT provided 33 measures the industry can take to curb emissions, such as using solar battery systems, partnerships with low-emissions transportation services, and energy efficiency incentives for venues.
Read the full report here.

Background:

80,000 events across the US and the UK were analyzed.
The report explores various aspects of the industry, including trucking, energy, food and beverage consumption, water, waste, fan travel, artist and crew travel, accommodation, and freight.
Live music accounts for 0.2% of total emissions in the US and 1.1% in the UK.

Key findings:

Fan travel is the largest producer of carbon emissions, making up 77% in the UK and 62% in the US.
Food and beverage is second with 16.9% in the US and 7.6% in the UK, due mostly to animal-based products. Switching to plant-based food could reduce emissions by over 40%.
Trucking for tours makes up 14% of U.S. emissions, and air freight produces 35% in the UK.
MIT provided 33 measures the industry can take to curb emissions, such as using solar battery systems, partnerships with low-emissions transportation services, and energy efficiency incentives for venues.
Read the full report here.

Background:

80,000 events across the US and the UK were analyzed.
The report explores various aspects of the industry, including trucking, energy, food and beverage consumption, water, waste, fan travel, artist and crew travel, accommodation, and freight.
Live music accounts for 0.2% of total emissions in the US and 1.1% in the UK.

Key findings:

Fan travel is the largest producer of carbon emissions, making up 77% in the UK and 62% in the US.
Food and beverage is second with 16.9% in the US and 7.6% in the UK, due mostly to animal-based products. Switching to plant-based food could reduce emissions by over 40%.
Trucking for tours makes up 14% of U.S. emissions, and air freight produces 35% in the UK.
MIT provided 33 measures the industry can take to curb emissions, such as using solar battery systems, partnerships with low-emissions transportation services, and energy efficiency incentives for venues.
Read the full report here.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Climate Machine

Music Industry Sustainability Efforts

Sustainable Touring Initiatives

Decarbonization Of Live Music

Quantifying Live Music's Environmental Impact

Economic Impact Study

Fan Travel Impact

Sustainable Touring

Festival Sustainability

Carbon Emissions Report

United States

United Kingdom

👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block

This article was written with information sourced from MIT and Live Nation.
We covered it because sustainability is a major topic in the modern music industry.