London’s O2 will host the world’s first carbon-removed arena event with two headlining performances from The 1975 next year.
The 1975 gigs on February 12 and 13 will be the first of various events at the arena that will use carbon removal methods to physically extract carbon generated from the events into the atmosphere. The carbon will be stored away.
This is a part of the arena’s mission with A Greener Future to reduce emissions from live events. The O2, which is owned by AEG Europe, was the first arena in England to earn its Greener Arena certificate in December 2022.
So, how does it work?
The O2 teamed up with Cur8, a company that draws CO2 through high-quality carbon removal portfolios. Ahead of each show, the arena will predict the estimated emissions based on things like catering, travel, and electricity. Then, this data will be used to estimate removal costs, covered by an investment worked into the ticket price.
For example, the venue estimated The 1975 show will emit 100 tonnes. The arena hopes this event will act as a practice-model for other venues, and over time, make a difference in reducing emissions within the entire industry.
The director of sustainability for AEG Europe, Sam Booth, thanked The 1975, Cur8, and A Greener Future for collaborating with The O2 on this event, noting “it’s going to be game-changing not just for us but the industry as a whole.”
“The perfect large-scale carbon-free event does not currently exist, but while the industry continues to innovate and improve to reduce emissions to their lowest possible level, carbon removals will remain an important piece of the puzzle,” Booth said. “As a world-leading venue, we have a responsibility to create a path for real change, and it’s our hope that this event will not only deliver the same best-in-class experience that fans expect at The O2, but also one that’s supporting vital climate work and is better for the planet.”
The 1975 isn’t new to working towards a greener show; the band previously held a show at London’s Finsbury Park that used hybrid-powered generators to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. This idea, inspired by climate activist Greta Thunberg, was the first time HVO fuel was used to power an entire event. This brought the show’s carbon footprint down by 90%.
Additionally, The 1975 previously planted trees for every ticket sold via the One Tree Planted initiative, and even featured Thunberg on a track from Notes on a Conditional Form, urging the world to “wake up.”
