The Environmental Footprint of DJs: a Deep Dive Into Dance Music’s Climate Impact
Uncover the environmental impact of DJs, as Clean Scene's report reveals the carbon footprint of tours and offers solutions for sustainability.
In the wake of recent global shifts, an insightful examination into the dance music industry’s environmental impact has surfaced, courtesy of Clean Scene, a renowned German entity celebrated for its commitment to ecological concerns. This detailed 20-page report, aptly named “Last Night a DJ Took a Flight“, scrutinizes the carbon footprint left by DJs and their globe-trotting tours, spotlighting a pre-pandemic world where weekly international flights for performances were the norm.
The investigation unveils startling figures: the top 1,000 DJs, as of 2019, embarked on around 51,000 flights, covering 117 million kilometers, consuming 3.2 million liters of fuel, and emitting a staggering 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide. This emission level parallels the annual electricity usage of 20,000 households or three days of power for 8,000 festivals, alongside the environmental toll of producing 25 million vinyl records. Alarmingly, the carbon footprint of a globally touring DJ is estimated at 35 tons annually — 17 times the average human footprint.
An intriguing comparison in the report highlights the vast disparity in carbon emissions between the most and least-traveled DJs in the top 1,000. The highest reached 88 tons per DJ annually, versus a mere 3.3 tons for the least traveled. This indicates a significant environmental impact disparity within the industry itself.
Clean Scene‘s findings call for a collective shift towards sustainability within the dance music community, emphasizing the need for a unified approach to reduce the ecological footprint. The report shies away from pointing fingers at individual artists, instead suggesting systemic changes to encourage more eco-friendly practices.
Recommendations for a greener future include favoring train travel over flights, especially in Europe, where distances are shorter and rail infrastructure is robust. Additionally, the report advises against scheduling distant gigs for single performances, proposing multiple bookings to justify the travel. It also advocates for lifting performance “embargoes” that restrict DJs’ ability to play in various venues within a short timeframe, potentially reducing unnecessary travel.
For those interested in exploring these findings further, the full report is accessible, providing a comprehensive overview of the dance music industry’s environmental challenges and possible solutions.