Clean Scene report finds that touring DJs took over 51,000 flights in 2019, emitting 35,000 tonnes of CO2

A report conducted by climate action collective Clean Scene found that touring DJs in RA Top 1000 DJs took 51,000 flights in 2019 — equivalent to 20,000 households’ consuming electricity for one year.

The report, titled ‘Last Night a DJ Took a Flight: Exploring the carbon footprint of touring DJs and looking towards alternative futures within the dance music industry’, also suggests that the average carbon footprint of a touring DJ is 35 tonnes of CO2, which is 17 times higher than the recommended personal carbon budget.

The data has been published as a way of asking for accountability from those in the music industry, not as a way to shame or blame artists. It seeks to dismantle oppressive systems that directly correlate to the effects of climate change, particularly prioritising money, power, and greed at the expense of the climate, race, gender, and economic inequality.

The collective have identified some themes and calls to action for the industry to consider, which include: planning for future equity, rethinking exclusivity clauses and prioritising more efficient tour-routing, celebrating and investing in local scenes and establishing agency and promoter networks to provide peer support and sharing best practices.

Clean Scene are a Berlin-based collective made up of music industry professionals who want to create a cleaner, greener, and more equitable future for dance music. At a time when the industry is at a standstill, Clean Scene states that now is the time for a change.

Read the full report HERE. Photo: Sean MacEntee.