The era of sustainable touring has started. Neste and Coldplay are moving towards sustainable touring with renewable fuels together.” (Neste X Coldplay, May 2022)
(as seen in "The Green Tourist")
Image credit: Ekjot Oberoi
The British rock band Coldplay have always been known for their philanthropy, activism and environmental awareness. In November 2019, frontman Chris Martin said the band would pause any touring, a day before the release of their eighth album “Everyday Life”. Martin stated that “The hardest thing is the flying side of things... We’re taking time over the next year or two, to work out how can, not only our tour be sustainable, but how can it be actively beneficial? How can we harness the resources that our tour creates and make it have a positive impact?”
Two years later, on the day before the release of their ninth album “Music of the Spheres”, Coldplay finally announced that their next world tour of the same name would tackle the climate crisis.
Coldplay’s team will pay a surcharge to use or supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), “either for their use or for others”. They have partnered with engineering services company, Neste, to supply them with their Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM, a material created by using solely waste and sustainable feedstocks.
Blended up to 50% with fossil jet fuel, SAF is currently made using cooking oil from restaurants and waste non-palm oils and fats from animals and plants. However, other sustainable feedstocks that could be used include the home waste that would otherwise end up in landfill or incineration sites (such as paper, packaging, food wastage and fabrics) and forestry waste (wood, crops, plants and algae). It is ready for worldwide commercial use on existing planes and their fuel distribution systems.
When SAF is used unblended with fossil jet fuel, it reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and the lifecycle carbon emissions of typical air travel, by up to 80%. For example, as plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, which is released back into the atmosphere when burned into jet fuels. This significantly tackles the ongoing issue of climate change, compared to the traditional fossil jet fuel that has been in use for nearly 100 years. “We’ve tried to put sustainability at the centre of this tour because it just feels like the only option,” says Coldplay’s Chris Martin (Neste, 2022).
Coldplay has vowed to cut direct GHG discharges by half, in contrast with their past visit. Neste gives Coldplay Sustainable Aviation Fuel to assist with lessening emissions from air travelling, while the organisation’s renewable diesel will assist with cutting emanations from the band’s transportation and power used to bring the stage to life. The band has also been measuring and recording the climate impact data and also their environmental footprint.
Any aircraft that has the required specification of jet fuel is eligible for using SAF. Currently, the cost of SAF is higher than the commonly used fuel for aircraft, which affects the production of the fuel too. Favourably, they have experienced growth in their clientele recently due to increased cognizance about the importance of emission reduction. “At the moment, production of SAF is limited as the higher cost for SAF is preventing wider uptake. AirBP is working on helping create more demand in the short-term which will lead to more production and hopefully lower costs in future.” (AirBP, June 2022)
Coldplay has also vowed to use electric vehicles (such as Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) wherever possible. Neste MY Renewable DieselTM is being used in the trucks that transport Coldplay’s band equipment across each country. The very same diesel is again used at the live shows in stationary power generators, producing renewable electricity during the 2.5-hour set, with very low emissions. In addition, biofuel will be the preferred use of ground freight and transportation.
Despite the efforts to make the band and crew’s travel more sustainable, there are still limits. The website dedicated to the world tour’s sustainability plan explains, “Although the tour has been carefully routed and pre-planned to minimise air travel, some flying is unavoidable. The band will mostly fly on commercial flights, but there will inevitably be occasions when charter flights are required for band, crew and equipment.”
The equipment to be used on the stage is said to be built with “a combination of light-weight, low carbon and reusable materials like recycled steel” to avoid any wastage. At times and places where the emissions are alarmingly high, Coldplay announces that they will use local equipment and resources.
Coldplay has also launched a “Music of the Spheres World Tour” app, which will allow “fans to plan low-carbon travel to and from shows, with those who choose green journeys [being] rewarded with a merch discount code” at the concerts. They have collaborated with SAP (System Analysis Program) to co-create the app, to motivate the fans to employ low-carbon transport when they attend a show. They also committed to planting and nurturing an exceptional number of trees, along with one tree for every ticket that is sold. This way, Coldplay is fetching their fan’s attention to highlight the importance of sustainability.
The equipment to be used on the stage is said to be built with “a combination of light-weight, low carbon and reusable materials like recycled steel” to avoid any wastage. At times and places where the emissions are alarmingly high, Coldplay announces that they will use local equipment and resources.
Coldplay has also launched a “Music of the Spheres World Tour” app, which will allow “fans to plan low-carbon travel to and from shows, with those who choose green journeys [being] rewarded with a merch discount code” at the concerts. They have collaborated with SAP (System Analysis Program) to co-create the app, to motivate the fans to employ low-carbon transport when they attend a show. They also committed to planting and nurturing an exceptional number of trees, along with one tree for every ticket that is sold. This way, Coldplay is fetching their fan’s attention to highlight the importance of sustainability.
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