Yellow to green: Renewables power Coldplay's new world tour

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel are currently propelling British superstars Coldplay across the globe, with them having partnered with Finnish energy company Neste to slash touring emissions by 50%.

The band, which is currently playing shows in the US as part of its "Music of the Spheres" world tour, has also launched an app to provide fans with information on low-carbon travel as the energy transition gets into full swing.

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The app was unveiled during the Central American leg of their tour, but is being emphasised as they travel North America, marking three years of development since they paused touring in 2019 until they figured out how to do more sustainably.

Touring for many bands was also temporarily halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

During the break, the four-piece explored low-carbon options such as alternatives to power aircraft, power generators and road vehicles necessary for a successful world tour, eventually settling on SAF and green diesel.

Neste's renewable diesel is made from recycled and renewable raw materials, such as cooking oil, and is currently helping them slash emissions as they tour North America.

“We're really happy to partner with Neste to make our Music Of The Spheres World Tour as sustainable as possible. Their low-emission renewable fuels will play a major part in our efforts to minimise the tour’s climate impact," Coldplay said in a statement.

“We’ve tried to put sustainability at the centre of this tour because it just feels like the only option,” frontman Chris Martin added.

Neste's SAF can reportedly reduce flight emissions by 80%. As one of the largest music artists in the world right now, Coldplay's actions could resonate with other artists and inspire change in the scene.

However, the band has been criticised in the past for taking private jets on tour, which led to significant backlash from both the public and other music artists.

Chris Martin has since defended their use on tour, which critics have pointed out as hypocritical.

"The world needs these kinds of changemakers to lead the way towards a more sustainable future,“ says Minna Aila, Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Affairs and member of the Neste Executive Committee at Neste.

“We at Neste are excited and proud to join forces with Coldplay to help reduce emissions from their world tour concerts and tour-related transports with our renewable fuels," she added.

Fans who clock in low-carbon travel using it will be gifted with discounts for the band's merch. The app is available on iOS and Android.

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The app itself contains various behind-the-scenes videos, AR experiences and audio livestreams of the upcoming European leg.

It will also “measure total fan-travel carbon emissions so that the band can drawdown these impacts via high quality nature-based solutions, such as reforestation and soil regeneration," allowing the band and fans to gauge the amount of emissions cut.

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