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Summary

This report is the result of two things. Firstly, an urgent need to improve sustainability within the live music industry. And, secondly, a gap in available information signposting specific services, products and suppliers that can help within the budget constraints that have been a perennial issue for the sector for as long as we can all remember, but have become exponentially worse in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 The work itself has relied heavily on research conducted by some of the leading UK organisations working in this field. For example, the University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Research, Music UK, and Julie’s Bicycle. All publish their own in-depth reports detailing everything from the emissions output of a 6,000 capacity camping festival to the carbon footprint of a stadium tour, and we recommend reading these as a priority — you’ll find a list of sources in the final chapter. 

 However, Green Noise is more an exercise in identifying solutions. The chapters that follow break the subject down into specific areas — venues, festivals, travel (to all types of music events), and finally governance. Within each, you will not only find overviews showing the extent of problems, or rather the size of the challenge ahead, but recommendations for partner businesses, charities, and other bodies that can assist with specific requirements. Such as brokering an ‘off-market’ renewable energy package for city centre basement clubs, or plugging you into networks of sustainable catering firms. 

 Already, we are seeing more responsible music events becoming much visible. Post-lockdown, Cambridgeshire institution Secret Garden Party has switched to a social enterprise model, committing 65% of profits to front-line charities. In Manchester, the new Co Op Live arena — the UK’s largest by capacity — is a carbon neutral building. Further afield, Amsterdam’s DGTL is the most sustainable festival in the world, and is building on a strong history of renewable innovation by partnering with local authorities to play a pivotal role in local circular economics. 

 Nevertheless, the scale of change needed now is bigger than ever, with sector-specific issues presenting a complex puzzle to solve. How do we improve the energy performance of 100-year-old concert halls that mean so much to us culturally? Is it possible to ensure every single person heading to a summer festival does so by using emission free travel modes? Can carbon offsetting actually have an impact, and if so what advice is there to engage with this controversial and divisive idea without greenwashing? As the following pages prove, music — and specifically live performance — has occupied a central position in society for millennia, and its significance has not waned. Economically speaking, it’s actually becoming more important. So to do without is unthinkable, but continuing down the same path would be catastrophic. 

More about the author

Martin Guttridge-Hewitt has been involved in the UK music sector for over 20 years. Much of this time he has been writing for national media on British music scenes, communities and the industry, specialising in reportage from the grass roots and at the intersections of social issues, culture, and the environment. Bylines have appeared in outlets such as BBC, the Guardian, The Face, Mixmag, DJ Mag, VICE and Metro. He also retains a part-time in-house role as environmental journalist at Public Sector News Network.