IMPALA, the association for independent music companies in Europe, has teamed with Julie’s Bicycle — an organization that mobilizes the arts to take action on the climate crisis — to launch the first bespoke carbon calculator for the independent music sector.
Announced on Tuesday (April 12), the new carbon calculator will help IMPALA members accurately measure their ecological impact and achieve their climate goals. The calculator’s technology is based on Creative Green Tools, developed by Julie’s Bicycle and designed to meet the needs of independent record companies. The calculator is also equipped with a customized layout and help desk support to facilitate carbon accounting.
IMPALA members can access the calculator online and also register to join an informative webinar, set for April 20, to learn more about the calculator and basic principles of carbon accounting.
The tool comes ahead of Music Declares Emergency‘s Turn Up The Volume week of music industry climate action, which is slated to take place from April 18 to 24. Music Declares Emergency is comprised of artists, music industry professionals and organizations that have declared a climate and ecological emergency and are calling for an immediate governmental response.
Alison Tickell, founder and CEO of Julie’s Bicycle and adviser to IMPALA’s task force, said in a statement, “Having a custom-made calculator and standardized framework for the recorded sector is a big step towards taking full responsibility. We are happy to be supporting IMPALA members on their mission to reach carbon neutrality.”
Helen Smith, executive chair of IMPALA said in a statement, “Our core group of supporting members who supported this have really led the way. It’s thanks to them that we now have our custom tool. We look forward to presenting our calculator on April 20 during Music Declares Emergency‘s Turn Up The Volume week.”
The calculator will analyze direct emissions from owned or controlled sources and indirect emissions, plus “relevant indirect emissions” (i.e. emissions that result from an entity’s business activities but occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity). The goal is to help achieve an interim net-zero independent sector by 2026, culminating in carbon positive status by 2030.
The carbon calculator project was supported by a core group of IMPALA members, including (in alphabetical order): !K7 Music Group, Altafonte, Anjunabeats, Because Music, Beggars Group, Cherry Red Records, City Slang, Domino Recording Company, Edel, Encoding Management Service – EMS, Epitaph Records, Everlasting Records, FONO, FUGA, HAIL, Hot Action Records, Irascible Music, Las Vegas Records, Lusitanian Music Publishing, Mouthwatering Records, N.E.W.S. Records, Ninja Tune, Partisan Records, [PIAS], Playground Music Scandinavia, PMI, Roton Music, Secretly Group, TAMBOURHINOCEROS, Two Gentlemen, Warp Records and Zebralution.
