Beggars Group – the record label group that includes 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young – and Ninja Tune, which also includes Big Dada and Technicolor and who work closely with Brainfeeder, are committed to becoming carbon neutral. Beggars hopes its UK managed operations will be carbon negative by the end of next year, while the group aims to be carbon negative for its US managed operations by 2024. Ninja Tune aims to be carbon neutral by the end of 2021.
The Beggars Group aims to achieve half of its total supply chain-related CO2 emissions by 2030. According to the group, it will “identify and apply vinyl and CD production techniques with less impact”. In addition, Beggars plans to use sea freight for shipping, reduce business travel and promote commitment to sustainability issues [its] Employee.”
To reduce its own emissions, Ninja Tune is converting the central gas heating system in its offices to electric air source heat pumps, and offices in London, Los Angeles and Berlin will receive more environmentally friendly upgrades. The label also does not own or operate vehicles.
Before the new initiative, Ninja Tune had already made environmentally friendly changes to its products: The label said it had stopped selling CDs in plastic jewel sleeves in 2008, and most Ninja Tune LPs are printed on 140-gram vinyl in the Contrasted with pressed 180 gram vinyl. In the future, all CD and vinyl sleeves will be made from recycled cardboard and paper.
In 2019, Coldplay said they had no environmental plans to go on tour in support of their then-new album Everyday Life. That same year, Massive Attack partnered with the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research to commission a comprehensive study of the carbon emissions of the live music industry.
Read on the course “How the record industry is trying to make vinyl more environmentally friendly”.
