Monday 9 May 2022

Music listeners lead vocalists in climate conversation

Music lovers care more about climate change.

That’s the verdict of a new study by the University of Glasgow, which found that those that listen to music on a regular basis expect the industry to do more to promote sustainability.

More than 2,000 British music fans were surveyed, with 82% stating they were concerned about climate change, compared with 72% for non-music fans.

More than half of those surveyed also said that climate change should be a top priority in society above everything else – which is a much higher average than the rest of the public.

The study’s lead author, Dr Matt Brennan, puts this down to the common marriage in history between music and societal change: “Music culture has a long history of playing a key role in social movements and the evidence shows this link is still strong in the present day when it comes to the climate emergency.

“There is an appetite for industry initiatives to tackle climate change and that fans support – and indeed demand, bolder action.”

The study also revealed that music addicts are more likely to look for sustainable merchandise and products, as well as attend ‘greener’ gigs.