London, 14th December 2021 A group of leading music companies have signed a wide-ranging commitment to ‘decarbonise’ the global music business in alignment with the latest climate science.
Initiated by the UK’s Association of Independent Music (AIM) in collaboration with UK record labels association the BPI, the founding Signatories of the ‘Music Climate Pact’ span numerous areas of the music business and include all three major music groups – Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group – as well as world-renowned independents Beggars Group, BMG, Brownswood Recordings, Ninja Tune, Secretly Group, Warp and others.
By February 2022, founding Signatories will be required to sign up to one of two schemes, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) or the UN-backed Race to Zero SME Climate Commitment. This will see Signatories work with experts to set and execute actionable climate targets on which they will report regularly.
The Pact, developed with support from the UN Environmental Programme, marks a significant step in aligning the global music business, and the measures already taken by individual companies, around a coherent and industry-co-ordinated strategy. This will seek to unite and take forward existing climate initiatives.
For some Signatories, this could include AIM’s Climate Action Group, the Group’s Near-Mint Vinyl initiative to reduce vinyl waste, and IMPALA’s Carbon Calculator – an upcoming tool for the independent music sector. Other Signatories will look to fulfil this commitment through exploring music industry sectoral guidance for the SBTi initiative as well as build on steps already taken by Beggars Group, BMG, Ninja Tune, Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and others.
Members also commit to sharing data, insights and resources, as well as providing support for artists to engage and speak up about climate issues.
The Pact hopes to grow quickly from its list of initial Signatories, with hundreds more companies from around the world expected to sign by June 2022. AIM, the BPI, IMPALA and other national and international organisations will continue to provide support to encourage other businesses to sign up and deliver on the Pact.
In addition to its Signatories, the Music Climate Pact also has a number of registered ‘Supporters’ – businesses and organisations that help create and deliver music, and which share the same vision for a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable music market. Supporters agree to work with Signatories in the reciprocal sharing of data, knowledge and resources to help deliver the Pact’s goals. Initial Supporters include IFPI, Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), Julie’s Bicycle, Key Production and Music Declares Emergency.
Through these relationships, the global music sector has the ability to innovate, put out incredible music to a mass audience and shift culture by inspiring change.
The Music Climate Pact
Vision
To harness the power of the music industry towards inspiring transformational action on the climate crisis.
Purpose
By aligning as a sector, we stand to de-politicise sustainability and address our biggest environmental impacts in an efficient and collaborative way.
There is a lot of work to be done if we are to become a more sustainable industry, but we will be guided by climate science and take tangible, unified action and regularly update on our progress.
Commitment
The Pact’s founder Signatories commit to:
- Take individual and collective action to measure and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3)
- By February 2022, have either signed the Science Based Targets standard commitment letter stating that we will commit to setting science-based targets or will have joined the Race to Zero programme
- Work together as an industry to establish carbon measurement methodologies, tools and frameworks backed by climate science
- Work in partnership with shared suppliers and digital streaming platforms (DSPs) to obtain data and drive emission reduction projects in a collaborative fashion
- Support artists in speaking up on climate issues
- Communicate openly with fans about the impacts of the music industry.
Full list of the Pact’s founding Signatories:
Anjunabeats
Beggars Group
BMG
Brownswood Recordings
Full Time Hobby
Inside Recordings
!K7 Music
Ninja Tune
Secretly Group
Sony Music Entertainment
Universal Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warp
Full list of the Pact’s founding Supporters:
Association of Independent Music (AIM) (representing the UK’s record labels, self-releasing artists and associated businesses)
A2IM (representing US independent music businesses)
The BPI (trade association for UK record labels)
EarthPercent
IFPI (representing the recording industry worldwide)
IMPALA (representing Europe’s independent labels)
Julie’s Bicycle
Key Production Group
Music Declares Emergency
Worldwide Independent Network (WIN)
Paul Pacifico, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Independent Music (AIM), said:“The climate crisis is the single greatest challenge facing the world’s population. No single business can solve this global threat on their own and it has been inspirational to see so much of the global music sector come together to take action. This Pact builds on the amazing work already underway by individual businesses of all sizes, and brings the knowledge sharing and cross collateralization needed to effective substantive change. I would like to thank the Pact’s supporters and partners and look forward to welcoming more businesses to the Pact and helping them deliver on its commitment.”
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards, said: “The music community must take a leadership position on this most urgent of issues to support the work already being progressed by record labels to make their operations more sustainable. It means not just taking our own effective and co-ordinated industry action to respond to the climate crisis, but using the power of music to help inspire others in effecting meaningful change.”
Additional quotes from Signatories
Anna Johnson, Sustainability and Environment Officer, Involved Group (including Anjunabeats) said: “We welcome the Music Climate Pact bringing our sector together to achieve emissions reductions, and ultimately, decarbonisation at the scale and speed required to align with the 2015 Paris Agreement. Facilitating closer collaboration between music businesses, the Music Climate Pact is a much needed and timely initiative to support the transition towards a sustainable future.”
Paul Redding, CEO of Beggars Group (UK) said: “The Music Climate Pact shows the willingness of the whole music industry to work collaboratively on climate issues. Building on IMPALA’s project to develop a carbon calculator tool, all signatories will be pulling in the same direction on sustainability topics. This will help our industry achieve carbon reductions more efficiently as we carry out the same work, in the same way, at the same time.”
Christopher Ludwig, VP Global Digital Partnerships & Strategy of BMG said: “BMG is committed to taking responsibility for reducing its impact on the environment and achieving its climate goals. The Music Climate Pact has a useful role in helping companies address issues which cannot be dealt with individually and we are pleased to play our part.”
Nigel Adams, Founder of Full Time Hobby said: “The music industry, like any other, has to ask itself how it can respond to the Climate Crisis and having the Pact in place will play a part in that, directing the combined power of the music industry to drive structural change and reduce emissions. At Full Time Hobby, we’ve helped instigate the AIM Climate Action Group and Music Declares Emergency and believe strongly that working cooperatively and channelling the power of music to speak out about the Climate Crisis and calling for Government action is imperative.”
Peter Quicke, Co-CEO of Ninja Tune said: “Music is a powerful force for community and communication, from live shows to live streams, from music on social media to the simple sharing your favourite music with friends. And so we have a responsibility to ensure the power of music is used to help combat the climate crisis, that the voices of artists and labels are used to call for change. One key part of that is for music to reduce its own footprint, and to engage with our upstream and downstream partners in reducing their footprint, and so accelerate the response to the climate crisis – the Music Climate Pact is a big step along this path.”
Andy Hsueh, General Manager, Americas of Partisan Records said: “Partisan Records was eager to join the Music Climate Pact in our commitment to reduce the recorded music industry’s carbon footprint. It is critical that our industry acts now and we’re looking forward to working with the music community in combating climate change.”
Ben Swanson, COO of Secretly Group, said: “We’re excited to take our first step in this very important journey with our peers, as it will truly take a village to make the necessary progress in the music industry.”
Sony Music Group Executive Vice President for Philanthropy and Social Impact, Towalame Austin, said: “Sony Music Group is delighted to join the Music Climate Pact and is committed to playing its part in tackling the climate crisis. As a division of Sony Group, we are working towards achieving a zero environmental footprint by 2050 under the ‘Road to Zero’ long-term environmental plan and both expanding renewable energy use and reducing environmental impact in supply chains as part of Sony Group’s Green Management 2025 targets.”
Universal Music Group Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and President of Operations Boyd Muir said: “UMG is proud to join the ‘Music Climate Pact,’ an important music community initiative reflecting our ongoing commitment to combating climate change. Since becoming a stand-alone company in September, we have established a dedicated Environmental, Social & Governance department that is overseeing this vital priority, including our purchases of renewable energy, offsets of greenhouse gas emissions, reduced supply chain footprint and dedication to the highest building standards (such BREEAM and LEED). We look forward to working with others in music to help address this critical issue.”
Warner Music Group Acting Chief Financial Officer, Lou Dickler said: “The scale of the global climate crisis demands that we work together to make real impact. We appointed a dedicated ESG leader earlier this year, and committed to releasing Warner’s first annual ESG report next year, which will help us hold ourselves accountable and transparently communicate progress to our stakeholders. Starting with an inventory of our carbon footprint, we’re developing an ESG platform and roadmap that will move Warner Music into a more environmentally sustainable future. We look forward to collaborating within our community, throughout the industry, and across sectors to deliver necessary change.”
To learn more, visit the Music Climate Pact website at www.musicclimatepact.com and follow #musicclimatepact.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE MUSIC CLIMATE PACT?
The Music Climate Pact is a global platform, initiated out of the UK by the Association of Independent Music (AIM) and in collaboration with UK record labels association the BPI, as a response to COP26 and the urgent call for collective action to combat the climate crisis. Given our unparalleled reach, we have a unique opportunity to help artists and audiences engage with climate issues.
The Pact sets out a series of high-level commitments that will serve as a declaration of intent for the global music sector.
The Pact brings together key actors (the independent music community, major music companies, and others) to align as a sector and address our biggest environmental impacts in an efficient and collaborative way.
We believe that through collective action and a unified voice, the music industry will be best-placed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate our contribution to global climate change and ignite broader societal action on the climate crisis.
The Pact will help to ensure that we bring our own businesses up to speed and share knowledge in an efficient way. We’ll use this platform to regularly update on our progress.
WHO HAS SIGNED THE MUSIC CLIMATE PACT?
The Pact is being launched with the following founding Signatories:
Anjunabeats / Beggars Group / BMG / Brownswood Recordings / Full Time Hobby / Inside Recordings / !K7 Music / Ninja Tune / Secretly Group / Sony Music Group / Universal Music Group / Warner Music Group / Warp
View the full list.
WHY NOW?
The science is very clear. Urgent action is required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and avoid catastrophic runaway climate change. The decisions that we make now, as an industry and as individual businesses, are vital if we are to take meaningful and timely action.
Following on from the Paris Agreement, governments and businesses from across the world have launched ambitious programmes to reduce carbon emissions. The Music Climate Pact represents the aligned response of the global music industry to this cause.
WHAT COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE?
The Pact’s founder Signatories have committed to:
- Take individual and collective action to measure and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3)
- By February 2022, either have signed the Science Based Targets standard commitment letter stating that we will commit to setting science-based targets or will have joined the Race to Zero programme
- Work together as an industry to establish carbon measurement methodologies, tools and frameworks backed by climate science
- Work in partnership with shared suppliers and DSPs to obtain data and drive emission reduction projects in a collaborative fashion
- Support artists in speaking up on climate issues
- Communicate openly with fans about the impacts of the music industry
Businesses signing up after the launch must have already signed up to one of the two pathways.
Signatories of the Music Climate Pact will take steps that are prescribed by internationally recognised, best-practice frameworks, including the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and the Race to Zero programme.
Using these frameworks as a basis for action sets our industry on a glide-path towards achieving decarbonisation in alignment with the latest climate science, to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
See below for more information about the SBTi and Race to Zero programmes.
WHAT ARE PACT SUPPORTERS?
Rightsholders work in close partnership with a wide range of industries (including digital service providers, distribution partners, consultancies, and NGOs) to create and deliver music. Through these relationships, the global music sector has the ability to innovate, put out incredible music and shift culture.
As part of the wider music ecosystem, these organisations play an essential role in the decarbonisation of our industry. Supporters of the Music Climate Pact are non-rightsholder businesses and organisations that share our vision for a cleaner, more efficient music market. Towards this end, Supporters agree to work with Pact Signatories in the reciprocal sharing of data, knowledge, and resources to help deliver the Pact commitment.
These include the Association of Independent Music (AIM), A2IM, The BPI, IFPI, IMPALA, Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), Julie’s Bicycle, Key Production Group, Music Declares Emergency and the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN). View the full list here.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE PACT?
Within six months of the launch (June 2022), we hope to have hundreds of businesses signed up to the Pact.
Significant updates and news will be added here: musicclimatepact.com/news.
By February 2022, each founding member of the Pact will either have signed the SBTi Standard Commitment letter stating that we will commit to setting science-based emissions reduction targets or will have joined the Race to Zero programme.
Day-to-day, we’ll continue to collaborate to build and deploy scientifically-robust tools that will help us measure and report on our decarbonisation efforts – such as a music industry carbon calculator – and work with supply chain partners to act on environmental issues that are common to each of our businesses, including emissions from the creation and distribution of music.
WHAT DO THOSE NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE FOR THE SIGNATORIES?
The Music Climate Pact ensures that each of the Signatory businesses align with internationally recognised, best-practice climate mitigation frameworks in the Science Based Targets initiative and/or the UN Race to Zero platform. Using these frameworks as a basis for action sets our industry on a glide-path towards achieving decarbonisation in alignment with the latest climate science.
Next steps depend on which of the two pathways the business sign-ups to:
- Science Based Targets initiative
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science.
The initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments.
Organisations that sign the SBTi Commitment Letter must:
- Develop a science-based decarbonisation target aligned with the SBTi criteria
- Submit the target to the SBTi for third-party validation
- Publish details of the target online
Once targets have been validated, companies must disclose emissions on an annual basis and report on progress against the verified target.
- Race to Zero
The Race to Zero Campaign is a UN-backed programme that thousands of businesses have used to demonstrate action on climate change, designed to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.
Organisations that sign up to the Race to Zero programme must:
- Pledge: At Head of organisation level, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as soon as possible, and by 2050 at the latest, and set an interim decarbonisation target aimed at reducing emissions by 50%, by 2030
- Plan: Establish a plan to achieve the pledge
- Proceed: Take immediate action towards achieving the pledge
- Publish: Commit to report publicly on progress
Both the SBTi and Race to Zero programmes have bespoke criteria for SMEs (small to medium enterprises). These can be found in the SME Science Based targets setting form and the SME Climate Commitment .
WHAT SUPPORT WILL THE SIGNATORIES RECEIVE IN ACHIEVING TARGETS?
The pathways set out in the Pact provide support to businesses that commit to them.
Signatories to the Pact commit to sharing data and information that will help other Signatories, in addition to bespoke collaborative tools being built for signatories to access.
AIM (with the AIM Climate Action Group) and the BPI will be working with and supporting their respective memberships, their counterparts around the world, and wider music community, to fulfil their commitments.
WHAT SUPPORT WILL SMALLER BUSINESSES, WHO MAY NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY CAN JOIN AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THE NECESSARY FRAMEWORK, RECEIVE?
The Pact is a way for the global music sector to come together. Businesses are at different stages of their sustainability journey and founder Signatories want to help bring everyone along with them.
Both the SBTi and Race to Zero programmes have bespoke criteria for SMEs (small to medium enterprises). These can be found in the SME Science Based targets setting form and the SME Climate Commitment.
The IMPALA Carbon Calculator, due for release by Spring 2022, should mean that SMEs that may have limited resources can begin measuring their emissions in a straightforward way.
By signing up to the SME Climate Commitment (one of the two pathways), businesses have 18 months to produce their first emissions report, with support from AIM and the BPI.
Businesses may also wish to wait to sign up to the Pact once the IMPALA calculator is released and operational, which is one option to measure their emissions.
AIM (with the AIM Climate Action Group) and the BPI will be working with and supporting their respective memberships, their counterparts around the world, and wider music community, to get to the place where they are in a position to sign up to one of the frameworks and join the Pact.
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION WITH THE UN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME (UNEP)?
The UNEP provided support and initial guidance to establish sector-driven decarbonisation efforts during the conceptualisation and launch of the Pact. Going forward, we will continue to liaise with UNEP on sector guidance to help Pact members drive individual decarbonisation work and translate learnings from other sector-based initiatives, such as Playing for the Planet.
WHAT WORK IS ALREADY BEING DONE IN THE SECTOR TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE?
We will continue with our projects already in progress, build tools together and share knowledge to instigate real change. This Pact seeks to unite and take forward existing and future climate initiatives. Examples of initiatives include AIM’s Climate Action Group, the Group’s and Republic of Music’s Near-Mint Vinyl initiative to reduce vinyl waste, and the IMPALA Carbon Calculator (to be launched by Spring 2022) – an upcoming tool for the independent music sector. Other signatories will also explore music industry initiatives, such as potential sectoral guidance with the SBTi initiative.
And this all builds on steps already taken by Signatories including Anjunabeats, Beggars Group, BMG, Ninja Tune, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.
We will also continue to support and collaborate with impactful, innovative and solutions-based initiatives and organisations like Music Declares Emergency, Julie’s Bicycle and Earth Percent.
Working groups across the major and independent landscape, both within individual companies and connecting multiple organisations, have long been led by core staff who have stood up and been committed to making change. The vision of these groups is to maximise the sustainability of the music sector through collaborative action.
The Pact is a natural next step to make a unified statement of intent and formalise this collaborative work.
- ‘Record Labels Sustainability Meeting’ with AIM and BPI members
Many record labels are taking assertive action on sustainability. But to have the biggest impact in the shortest time, it is essential that the industry follows a joined-up approach involving independent and major music businesses as well as associations.
aim.org.uk
bpi.co.uk
- ‘AIM Climate Action Group (CAG)’
Formed in 2019 by leaders in the independent community to:
- Help members reduce carbon emissionsform their activities, with a focus on those areas that have the biggest environmental impact
- Raise awareness of the climate emergencyby influencing our members, artists, independent music fans and supply chain partners in a positive way
- Bring about systemic changethrough lobbying for governmental and legislative reform and by negotiating preferential rates on low-impact products and services
- Share knowledge and expertiseto facilitate collaboration, the adoption of best-practice and widespread climate literacy within our membership
More info on the AIM CAG.
Read the joint press release.
WHY ARE NO MUSIC DISTRIBUTORS OR LIVE MUSIC BUSINESSES LISTED AS SIGNATORIES?
The Pact’s intention is to engage with the entire value chain. Conversations are already taking place and will continue as part of the Pact’s evolution. We encourage all Signatories to conduct due diligence around capabilities and ambition and expect that, through continued conversations, more partners will begin to join the Pact.
We have been inspired by the live sector which has made its own commitments and set up many working groups and initiatives. We see this as an opportunity to work and collaborate to help drive change across the entire ecosystem.
HOW WILL THE PACT TARGET SPECIFIC ISSUES, SUCH AS THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF CD, VINYL AND STREAMING FORMATS?
Inherent to the Pact’s commitment is measurement of the emissions impact of digital and physical supply chains. This data will be used to inform how each Signatory, as well as the industry as a whole, can address these emissions guided by the science-backed strategies in line with the pact’s commitment.
FOR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC PROGRAMMES AT THESE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES, PLEASE CONTACT THE BUSINESS DIRECTLY:
Universal Music Group – investors.universalmusic.com and communications@umusic.com
Warner Music Group – majeda.hussein@wmg.com (Majeda Hussein, Corporate Communications Director)
Sony Music Group – ruwan.kodikara@sonymusic.com (Ruwan Kodikara, VP, Corporate Comms, International))
For any other queries about individual businesses, please contact AIM (henry@aim.org.uk) and the BPI (gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk).
About AIM (Association of Independent Music)
AIM is the not-for-profit organisation representing and supporting the UK’s independent music community, which makes up over a quarter of the UK’s recorded music market. Now in its 22nd year, AIM’s members range from the largest, most respected record labels and associated music businesses in the world to DIY or self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music – including 4AD, Black Acre, CTRL Music, Dirty Hit, Domino Recording Co, Hospital Records, Killing Moon Group, FAMM, Ninja Tune, Numbers, Transgressive, Secretly Canadian, Supernature, Warp, and XL Recordings.
AIM exists to level the playing field for UK independent music businesses – the beating heart of music – and provides access to the knowledge and contacts creative entrepreneurs need to create, build and win. AIM supports its members, not only through the difficult times, but also on a day-to-day level with practical support that makes a real difference to their lives and work, helping them take their businesses to the next level.
About BPI (British Phonographic Industry)
The BPI champions the UK’s recorded music community, safeguarding the rights of its members and of the artists, performers and label members of collecting body PPL. The BPI’s membership consists of well over 500 independent labels and the UK’s three ‘majors’ – Universal Music UK, Sony Music Entertainment UK and Warner Music UK. Its total membership taken together accounts for around 85 per cent of legitimate domestic music consumption and 1 in 10 streams around the world.
The BPI promotes British music at home and overseas through its trade missions, the Music Exports Growth Scheme and The BRIT Awards, which it owns and organises. It administers The BRIT Certified Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards Programme, co-owns the Official Charts Company with ERA, and is home to The Mercury Prize. The BPI encourages and supports innovation and technology through its Music & Tech Springboard Programme, and additionally provides insights, training and networking with its extensive free masterclasses, networking events, Insight Sessions and reports alongside its communications and public affairs work.
