Climate change and the music industry
At Glasgow researchers have been collaborating with industry partners and campaigning organisations to help understand the environmental impact of the music industry. The industry has seen several initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of climate issues and decarbonising music events and products.
In 2022 researchers from the Creative Economies and Cultural Transformation Theme in the ARC conducted a survey, Turn Up the Volume. The research, funded through the Natural Environment Research Council Disciplinary Hopping Fund, showed that music fans are more likely to care about climate change and want the music industry to do more to tackle the crisis than non-music fans.
Dr Matt Brennan, lead investigator, said “This sends a strong message across the music industries – to record labels, concert promoters, streaming platforms, artists, and other sectors – that there is an appetite for industry initiatives to tackle climate change, and that fans support, and indeed demand, bolder action."
In the ARC Dr Matt Brennan, College of Arts & Humanities, and Dr Mark Wong, College of Social Sciences continue to build on this work, collaborating across sectors to provide evidence to inform and influence our societal and industry-focused responses to the climate emergency.