Two years after Coldplay decided not to tour until they could do so in a more sustainable way, the British group recently announced a world tour starting in Costa Rica, a country with one of the highest rates of renewable energy generation. The 2022 tour will have 50% lower carbon dioxide emissions than the 2016/17 tour. The band revealed that their next tour will be powered by their fans. The dance floor will generate electricity when fans jump up and down, as well as when they use pedal bikes. The concerts will also use electricity from batteries fuelled by solar energy, recycled cooking oil from local restaurants, as well as mains power from 100% renewable sources where available.
This is only a small part of the 12-point plan to cut the band’s carbon footprint. Speaking with BBC, singer Chris Martin declared that the fans will stand on a “kinetic flooring” and will generate power for the concert by moving and jumping on it. “When I say that, I literally really need you to jump up and down. Because if you don’t, then the lights go out,” he added. Additionally, Coldplay declared that they will plant a tree for every ticket sold.
However, although the band is trying its best, the singer admitted that there would still be backlash about some of their activities, including flying on private jets or getting people to the venue. “We’re trying our best, and we haven’t got it perfect […] And the people that give us backlash for that kind of thing, for flying, they’re right. So we don’t have any argument against that,” said Martin. “So we know where we still have a long way to go. But in terms of the show itself, the whole show is powered from renewable energy, which is amazing,” he added. The band wants to connect and meet with people in the cleanest way possible. According to the singer, their goal is to change the status quo of a band tour within a few years.
Although the tour will still have a significant carbon footprint, the band will compensate for the extra CO2 by supporting reforestation, conservation, soil regeneration, renewable energy projects and more. Besides the fans-generated power, other measures include:
- The reduction of air travel and the use of sustainable fuel when flying is unavoidable
- The use of best environmental practices in the concert venues, such as installing low-flushing toilets
- The use of environmentally friendly materials, like bamboo
- The implementation of more energy efficient lights effects
- The use of compostable materials for the LED wristbands worn by fans
- The launch of an app that will let fans plan their journeys to/from the concert venue in the most sustainable way, with the possibility to get a discount as a reward for their low-emission travel.
