Developing the Music Industry as a Leader in Clean Transportation

This project aims to use the power of music to promote the cultural change needed to create a better, more regenerative future while working to reduce emissions in transportation, especially audience travel and musicians touring. The project intends to activate, organize, and mobilize music fans to use more sustainable transportation to get to shows and concerts and to lay the groundwork for a Zero Emissions touring project for Halifax-based musicians. The project will include the development of a bicycle-powered music festival and promote the bicycle-powered stage at events in Halifax/Kjipuktuk and beyond.

Grant award: $30,000

It’s all in the name: Music Declares Emergency. The climate emergency, that is.

Music Declares Emergency (MDE) is a charity that launched in July 2019 with the goal of using music to promote a “greener, fairer, better future.” MDE was founded in the United Kingdom and quickly spread to other countries. Kim Fry helped found the Canadian chapter in Toronto and continued her work with MDE after moving to Halifax two years ago.

Why is music declaring emergency? The music industry has its own carbon footprint, from touring to powering a stage to producing music. The biggest contributor, however, is the audience: “Looking at the research… the majority of the emissions in the music sector, especially live music [is] roughly 80% audience travel and transportation,” said Fry.

MDE aims to raise awareness of how the local music sector impacts the climate, while supporting local artists to use their platforms to talk about climate action. MDE helps musicians decarbonize their practice, while amplifying and supporting land defenders and climate frontliners.

MDE is active in Halifax, a hub of local music and touring performances. With help from HCi3’s Accelerating to Zero grant, the Halifax chapter is engaging in a series of events and outreach efforts with the local community to advocate for a greener music industry. These efforts include an initiative to “green the Juno Awards,” which took place March 24, 2024 in Halifax, planning a bike-powered music festival, and engaging with local community on their own transportation habits when it comes to enjoying live music.

—Junos photo

The Juno Awards presented an unusual opportunity for MDE Halifax to engage in a high profile event. They worked with CBC on the “Road to the Junos,” a 5-day event before the Junos that featured a nightly concert, to incentivize clean transportation to the events . CBC notified ticket holders that they could enter a draw for free Juno tickets if they found an alternative to driving themselves to the concert (either bike, public transit, or carpooling).

"That worked," said Fry. “The difference was monumental, it was so great. People were telling us, ‘I would have driven my car, but I decided to take the bus instead – it was my first time taking the bus since before COVID!’ and we were getting all those stories and were like, okay, this really works.”

In addition to these pre-Juno shows, MDE also hosted a summit the day before the Junos for those interested in “greening” the music industry, and had a “climate stage” at the Junos, which was powered by solar energy and their bike-energy-generators. These bike generators involve individuals creating “pedal-power,” a clean energy source! (see photos below). Here, MDE engaged with the audience about the climate crisis, all while enjoying the ongoing shows. (To learn more about how MDE was involved in the Junos this year, check out other HCi3 grant recipient Climate Story Network’s article!)

// Bike photo

In addition to the Junos, MDE has been planning a bike music festival, focused on local music, fully powered by renewable energy, and with zero-emissions coming from the transportation of audience, musicians and equipment. An initial plan to hold the festival in fall 2023 was cancelled due to severe weather, and MDE Halifax is working on an alternative date.

While eliminating live music would be a direct path to reducing greenhouse emissions from the music industry, no one wants to lose the power of live music. Instead, MDE works to keep the music sector alive, adapting to a changing world and actively contributing to a “greener, fairer, better future”. As MDE’s slogan says: “NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET.”