In advance of Earth Day 2021, The Beggars Group and Ninja Tune - two of the largest independent record label groups - have announced ambitious, industry leading environmental targets that will soon see both companies transform to a carbon negative position. 

These announcements come at the start of 'Turn Up The Volume', a week curated by Music Declares Emergency which aims to highlight the amazing work on sustainability already taking place across UK music and bring together artists and fans to create a better, greener, fairer future for all.

The Beggars Group and Ninja Tune are founding members of IMPALA's Sustainability Taskforce which, having been established in March 2021, aims to encourage European independent labels to work together to address sustainability issues in a collaborative manner. The programme consists of a climate charter, overall targets and voluntary tools for IMPALA members. 

Both companies are focussing action on areas where they have the largest environmental impacts. Initiatives include encouraging pressing plants to switch to renewable power, reducing the impact of freight operations and minimising business travel. In addition, both companies have installed renewable energy systems at their London offices.

The Beggars Group, which comprises some of the world's most recognisable independent record labels in 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings & Young, have established a strategy rooted in climate science. As a priority, the company will reduce internal and supply chain-related carbon emissions at a rate aligned with the Paris Agreement's goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. This means reducing total emissions 46%, by 2030, with Beggars seeking external validation for decarbonisation targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative. This transition is being managed by the company's first Head of Sustainability, Will Hutton, who has spent the last six months evaluating all UK-based operations first; "We've worked hard to make sure the pathway we have established is science-based and built on rigorous analysis of available data," he says. 

Full details inc. the company's first emissions report at https://beggars.com/group/sustainability 

Ninja Tune, who also incorporate scene defining labels like Big Dada and Technicolour and work closely with Brainfeeder, are committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2021 and carbon negative beyond that. The label will measure its environmental impacts, continue to work on reductions, and balance the remaining using tree planting, rainforest protection and other carefully chosen and audited real world actions. This builds on a series of changes including the removal of CD jewel cases from all their releases 12 years ago, switching to 140g vinyl and using sustainably sourced FSC card and paper in packaging, and long running support for environmental groups including Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion and The Rainforest Trust.

Full details at https://ninjatune.net/sustainability 

Ninja Tune Chair Peter Quicke said: "The climate crisis is already affecting millions of people, governments need to act now. Ninja Tune's net zero commitment reflects an active drive towards sustainability, but it's also a call for widespread change."

Beggars Group CEO Paul Redding said: "Music has the power to help catalyse societal action on the climate crisis so it's vital that businesses like ours do all we can to help protect the environment. We can't do it alone. We're just one small part of a broader community made up of artists, music associations and suppliers, and it's essential that we work in a coordinated way to address sustainability issues together as an industry.