Brussels, 12th April 2022

IMPALA, the European independent music companies’ association and Julie’s Bicycle have launched the first bespoke carbon calculator for the independent music sector. A crucial sustainability tool for IMPALA members, the calculator will help them measure their impact and achieve their climate goals. 

The calculator is based on Creative Green Tools developed by the Julie’s Bicycle and tailored to the needs of independent record companies. It features a customised layout as well as a helpdesk to facilitate carbon accounting. The aim is to make it easy for the sector to start measuring their impact and ensure no country or company gets left behind. 

The tool is out today, available here for all IMPALA members.  The calculator is being released ahead of Music Declares Emergency‘s Turn Up The Volume week of music industry climate action. IMPALA and Julie’s Bicycle will introduce the tool and the basic principles of carbon accounting and sustainability in general, at a webinar on April 20th. IMPALA members can register here.

The project was supported by a core group of IMPALA members (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, Zebralution.

Alison Tickell, founder and CEO of Julie’s Bicycle, and adviser to IMPALA’s task force, commented: “Having a custom-made calculator and a standardised 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.”

Horst Weidenmüller, Chair of IMPALA’s task force, and CEO of !K7 added: “Having published our own report, we want to make carbon accounting as simple as possible and accessible to all companies across Europe, and this tool will help us achieve that. This is what will really make the difference.”

Will Hutton, Head of Sustainability at Beggars Group continued: “This is the start of the sector being able to report in a standardised way. This is very important to Beggars. We have started working on our own footprint and having information aligned across the sector is key.”

Peter Quicke, Chair of Ninja Tune added: “Campaigning for action on the climate emergency is part of why supporting this project makes sense for Ninja Tune. Responsible and sustainable action at every scale is needed.  We have our own goals and this carbon calculator will help us achieve them.”

Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA concluded: “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 20 April during Music Declares Emergency’s Turn Up The Volume week.”

Find out more about our calculator on IMPALA’s dedicated page, here.

The calculator has taken six months to develop and is part of IMPALA’s larger sustainability scheme which encompasses a long-term programme for members, announced last April. The tool will analyse direct emissions from owned or controlled sources and indirect emissions, as well as relevant indirect emissions. The overall ambition is to help achieve an interim net zero independent sector by 2026, culminating in carbon positive by 2030. So far IMPALA has released a sustainability charter in 15 points, practical guidance for members and a climate declaration for members. IMPALA also uses its voice to amplify other climate initiatives from the music sector, including being a founding signatory of the Music Climate Pact, see more here.

More about IMPALA

IMPALA was established in 2000 and now represents nearly 6000 independent music companies. 99% of Europe’s music companies are small, micro and medium businesses and self-releasing artists. Known as the independents, they are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and artists – they produce more than 80% of all new releases and account for 80% of the sector’s jobs. IMPALA’s mission is to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change, and increase access to finance. 

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More about Julie’s Bicycle

Julie’s Bicycle is a pioneering not-for-profit organisation mobilising the arts and culture to take action on the climate and ecological crisis. Founded by the music industry in 2007 and now working across the arts and culture, JB has partnered with over 2000 organisations in the UK and internationally. Combining cultural and environmental expertise, Julie’s Bicycle focuses on high-impact programmes and policy change to meet the climate crisis head-on.  

JB works with cultural policymakers to create structural change at a local, national and international level. JB’s freely available resources are the most comprehensive library of good environmental practice for culture anywhere, co-created with the thousands of artists, cultural workers, and creative organisations we have worked with.

Find out more: www.juliesbicycle.com