IMPALA and Julie’s Bicycle to build first bespoke carbon calculator project for the independent music sector

07 October 2021 - Press release

IMPALA, the European independent music companies' association, has launched a collaboration with Julie's Bicycle to build the first bespoke carbon calculator for the independent sector. The calculator will help IMPALA's members measure their carbon footprint and identify hotspots. The aim is to make members' ambitions actionable, immediately impactful, and fully scalable.
 
Over the summer, member companies and associations across Europe volunteered to support the project: !K7 Music Group, Altafonte, 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
 

The calculator will come with a customised layout and a helpdesk to facilitate carbon accounting, taking into account the analysis of direct emissions from owned or controlled sources and indirect emissions, as well as relevant indirect emissions.
 
Alison Tickell, founder and CEO of Julie's Bicycle, and adviser to IMPALA's task force, commented: "A commitment to net zero carbon means taking full responsibility for our own environmental impacts, but collective action, at scale and speed, is what will really make the difference. This is the journey that the IMPALA membership has committed to, and we're delighted to be supporting them."
 
Horst Weidenmüller, Chair of IMPALA's task force, and CEO of !K7 added: "Having a custom-made calculator and a standardised framework for the recorded sector is vital to anyone wanting to track their impact. It will make the work easier and accessible to everyone, taking into account that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Measuring is the first step towards identifying where and in what way changes need to be made." 
 
Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA commented: "This is only the first step of a wider industry process. We thank our core group of supporting members who stepped up to help us get this off the ground. We invite others in the music sector to reach out if they would like to help us expand the project and collaborate on future ventures."

Peter Quicke, Chair of Ninja Tune added: "At Ninja Tune, sustainable action is one of our main priorities and we recently published an announcement  detailing our own climate goals. IMPALA's carbon calculator will be a valuable asset in achieving these goals and raising awareness across Europe."

Will Hutton, Head of Sustainability at Beggars Group commented: "Developing a single tool gives us the possibility to track our footprint in a precise and standardised manner. Beggars have our own sustainability goals  and we want to make sure the information is aligned across the sector when reporting."
 
The calculator is part of IMPALA's larger sustainability scheme which encompasses a long-term programme for members, announced this April. The overall ambition is to 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, see more here.