Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour concert in Mumbai. (Image: Instagram/@coldplay)
MumbaiJan 27, 2025 16:21 IST First published on: Jan 27, 2025 at 16:15 IST
In 2000, when climate change was not yet as evident as it is today in floods and forest fires, Coldplay debuted its first album, Parachutes. Nearly two decades later, the band’s members — Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland and Phil Harvey — paused touring until their concerts could “not only be sustainable [but] can be actively beneficial”. Having pledged to reduce its direct carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent in 2021, the band announced last year that it had exceeded this goal, and reduced its touring carbon footprint by 59 per cent. Coldplay’s efforts show that when it comes to sustainability, it is an industry pioneer.
This writer attended Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour concert in Mumbai and observed the varied and creative approaches that the band has taken to meet its sustainability pledge. Passes included a wildflower seed card and, significantly, an entry/exit map with PWD entry and public transport facilities near the venue: Reducing carbon emissions by public transport is an effective way to minimise Scope 3 emissions, defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol formulated by the World Resources Institute. The effort was helped by Western Railways’ announcement of special trains on the show dates in Mumbai, and between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, where the band played its final India concert on January 26.
At the Mumbai concert, Martin greeted the audience in Hindi and Marathi. The band shared its sustainability efforts, such as using green energy to charge show batteries, encouraging the audience to use the power bikes and dance on the kinetic floors to power upcoming shows, and its endeavours to use renewable energy for freight, transport, and air travel. Generation and use of green energy reduce Scope 2 emissions, defined by the GHG Protocol as “indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy”. Band members also urged the audience to return the LED wristbands, so that they could be reused at subsequent concerts, instead of being thrown away. The organisers had arranged for water bottles to be refilled from the free hydration stands — a key part of Coldplay’s sustainability pledge. The audience was also allowed to bring their own water bottles, which could be filled at the hydration stands, even as the organisers distributed refillable water cartons to those who required them. The washrooms also aided a dignified and comfortable experience, especially for women who generally face a lack of hygienic community washrooms even in a metropolitan like Mumbai. Coldplay has also regularly spoken about the social and environmental causes it supports via the tickets purchased, including reforestation, ocean cleanup, and carbon capture — the efforts made in this regard were reiterated at the concert, with the band expressing its gratitude to fans for helping support these causes.
Coldplay’s efforts underline how the business of concert-touring, which is notoriously emissions-heavy, can be made more sustainable. Over the past few years, several artists including Taylor Swift have been criticised for their massive carbon footprints, as they use private jets to get from venue to venue on their tours. Globally, 2.5 per cent of CO2 emissions come from the aviation industry, half of which is contributed by the wealthiest 1 per cent. At a time when countries such as the US are withdrawing yet again from the Paris Agreement, a sustainable concert tour on its own is not nearly enough to significantly combat climate change. But artists have a platform unlike any other to spread the message of sustainability: By the end of the Indian leg of their tour, Coldplay — which took a jetty ride to reach its Navi Mumbai concert venue — had shared its sustainability measures with nearly 3,50,000 attendees, in addition to the fans who streamed the live show on January 26 on Disney+Hotstar.
As one’s privilege increases, sustainability should become a responsibility. Beyond the beautiful LED bands, paper confetti, and lights display, what made Coldplay’s concert a memorable experience was the dignity and care — even love — with which the concertgoer was treated. As audiences sang, danced, jumped, and sometimes held back tears, the Music of the Spheres venues have felt like islands of good. Here’s hoping the message from this tour ripples outwards, and our world looks “something just like this”.
The writer is a research analyst working on Environmental Social Governance ratings for companies. Views expressed are personal.
