DHL and Coldplay: Making music tours more sustainable

Phil Harvey, Band Manager, Coldplay: "We've been highly impressed by DHL’s commitment to sustainability."

DHL and Coldplay: Making music tours more sustainable – one concert at a time
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Coldplay, to minimise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from logistics, teamed up with DHL as the band wanted to collaborate with a leader in sustainable transport and logistics solutions who shared their vision and had the tools to help make it a reality.

When Coldplay first announced the Music of the Spheres World Tour in 2021, they pledged to reduce their GHG emissions by more than 50 percent compared to their previous 2016-17 tour, says a blog from DHL. "With a global reach like no other band today, Coldplay knows a thing or two about the logistics of massive world tours and playing to millions of people. The band understood that minimising emissions from freight and transportation would make a big impact – especially air transport, which is unavoidable on world tours like these and accounts for a large share of the GHG emissions.

"Two years into the world tour, the band has cut overall GHG emissions by a remarkable 59 percent compared to 2016-17. How did they do it?

"We started with a carbon intelligence and monitoring system for a holistic view of the tour's CO2 footprint, going beyond transportation and logistics. This analysis was the foundation for identifying where best to optimise operations. We saw that transporting the equipment by air accounted for over 80 percent of the CO2 emissions."

DHL then deployed its GoGreen Plus solution, which proved pivotal for Coldplay, the blog added. "GoGreen Plus uses carbon insetting, which allows our customers to directly reduce emissions at the source, for example, by using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in air transport. Air freight carriers use the SAF purchased via GoGreen Plus, and the band receives emission reductions through an external verification and certification process."

Coldplay recently released a statement reporting that direct GHG emissions from the first two years of the tour are 59 percent less than their previous stadium tour (2016-17), adding that DHL has been instrumental in minimising emissions from freight and transportation. "A big part of this was utilising SAF to cut GHG emissions from charter flights for freight by 1,078 metric tonnes. That’s a fuel life-cycle reduction of 85 percent per flight, resulting in a 31 percent decrease in the total CO2 footprint of transportation in 2023 and making a significant contribution to lowering the band’s overall air travel emissions.

We have facilitated six charter flights to transport gear and equipment for Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour so far in 2024 with more to come."

One of the most captivating elements of Coldplay's concerts is the LED wristbands concert goers receive when they enter the venue, the blog added. "The wristbands light up in sync with the music, creating a sea of colours that pulse with every beat. The effect connects the audience and the band in shared moments of joy. During the European leg of the world tour, we helped collect used wristbands and transported them between venues in trucks powered by sustainable fuels, cutting the band's emissions even more."

Phil Harvey, Band Manager, Coldplay says: "We've been highly impressed by DHL’s commitment to sustainability."

DHL and Coldplay’s partnership proves that the music industry can significantly reduce the environmental impact of live music events, the blog added. "We understand that there is a long way to go, but we also know that by working together, the world’s leading band and the world’s leading logistics company can help set the stage for a greener future."

(Video Credit: DHL)

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