It was all eco: Coldplay beats emissions target for world tour – via kinetic dancefloors and trains | Coldplay

Coldplay have announced that they have reduced their carbon footprint on tour by 59% compared to their previous world tour – through some creative methods that include kinetic dance floors that allow dancing fans to generate electricity, recyclable LED wristbands and the band to travel by train.

On Monday announced the British group that they are “pleased to report that direct CO2e emissions from the first two years of this tour are 59% less than our previous stadium tour (2016-17), on a show-by-show basis”.

In 2021, the band first announced a 12-point plan to reduce emissions while touring, two years after frontman Chris Martin vowed never to tour again unless sustainable and with “positive impact”.

The group’s bet for Music of the spheres world tour, which began in 2022, was to reduce their carbon emissions from show production, freight, band and crew travel by “at least 50%”.

Two years later, the band says it has surpassed that figure – with the help of its fans.

“We would like to thank everyone who came to a show and helped recharge the batteries of the motorbike show and kinetic dance floors,” they said in a statement on their website.

“Anyone who arrived on foot, by bicycle, by carpool or public transport; anyone who brought refillable water bottles or returned their LED wristband for recycling; and everyone who bought a ticket, which means you’ve already planted one of the seven million trees so far.

“As a group and as an industry, we are far from where we need to be on this. But we’re grateful for everyone’s help so far, and we salute everyone who’s making an effort to push things in the right direction.”

Coldplay’s shows feature kinetic dance floors that generate electricity through the audience jumping up and down on customized tiles.

During the show, fans are also encouraged to hop on motorbikes which, along with the solar installations and dance floor, charge smaller stage areas during concertsas well as phones, laptops and instrument charging stations for the crew.

Coldplay’s data was collected by sustainability business Hope Solutions and their claims were confirmed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT professor John E. Fernandez praised the band for “leading by example … to move the entire music industry toward true and humane sustainability.”

“With each passing year of their tour … Coldplay are modeling a trajectory towards a low-carbon, biodiverse and just future,” Fernandez said.

Last July, an interim report suggested the group fell short of its target of achieving a 47% reduction in carbon emissions. But the new figures issued by the group suggests that the tour has become more efficient as it goes on.

The band claims that “72% of all tour waste was diverted from landfills and sent for reuse, recycling and composting,” up from 66% in 2023.

Eighteen shows were powered entirely by a mobile battery system made from recycled BMW batteries.

Two solar-powered “ocean cleanup river interceptors” were also paid for during the tour.

For every ticket sold – 7 million so far – a tree is planted through global reforestation nonprofit One Tree Planted.

Live touring is a carbon-intensive business, especially for world tours where venues are often thousands of kilometers apart. Artists such as Taylor Swift have been criticized for overusing private jets for touring and personal use.

While Coldplay rely on air travel for most of their gigs, Martin is committed to using public transport for gigs whenever possible. He arrived for the band’s gigs in Cardiff by train.