Robert Del Naja discusses carbon footprint of music industry

Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja thinks the music industry needs to come up with "different solutions" to reduce the carbon footprint given off by touring and festivals.

The 'Teardrop' hitmaker thinks it is important that there is a big change in how the industry responds to climate change, but insists Coldplay's decision to not tour their 2019 album because of environmental concerns is not the way forward, especially after the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: "One band's unilateral action is not going to change the look of the whole problem at all. One band not touring doesn’t change a thing. Bands don’t need to cancel tours, and festivals don’t need to cancel festivals. There are lots of different solutions across transportation – you can charter trains and buses and even gets tents and luggage down to a festival in the right way, and bands can take a train themselves. There are lots of different solutions for energy and powering a festival."

And Robert understands Coldplay's "frustration" but he has called for the industry as a whole to "look for solutions collectively" in a bid to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.

Speaking to the digital, culture, media and sport committee of MPs, he added: "I understand their frustration. It’s a frustration all bands have been feeling for a long time. Everyone knows that’s not the solution – one band stopping touring, or even all bands stopping touring. Culture is important, it brings everyone together, and so the best way is to look for solutions collectively ... The industry seems to be locked in a cycle of green pledges … while emission rates have remained really high. Artists wear the climate T-shirt, wave the placard, while operating in a high carbon, high-polluting sector."

Back in 2019, Massive Attack held a "super-low carbon" show in Liverpool.