ADE Green 2024: Building climate justice spaces in the music industry

Benefit concerts, campaigns, and awareness drives have undoubtedly raised essential resources and attention for important causes. At this point, however, we need systemic change beyond reducing carbon footprints and a recognition of the intersections between climate, culture, and social justice. This is what the climate justice movement is about: recognising that climate change does not affect everyone equally. Those already marginalised—whether through displacement, conflict, or the legacies of colonisation—are often the hardest hit. Climate justice calls for centering the needs and voices of those most vulnerable in our responses to the crisis. In a world of unequal power and privilege, it is a moral responsibility to ensure that climate policies and actions address these deeper injustices (see also these insights from a UNICEF roundtable on climate justice).

Artists and festivals hold a privileged position — they can challenge the status quo and push forward transformative ideas. The idea of joy as an act of resistance, as embraced by some artists and movements worldwide, shows how spaces of music can transcend mere performance to become a tool of solidarity, healing, and empowerment. These spaces can foster community resilience, reminding people of their strength and collective power to demand change.

The carbon footprint of DJs, artists, and their equipment being flown across the world is a challenge that demands innovative solutions (see also: Clean Scene). While there’s a push to "go local" and reduce the environmental impact of international tours, these measures must also ensure that they do not further marginalise global south artists, whose participation in the global music scene may depend on such opportunities. Restricting global tours without considering equitable access risks creating a system where only artists with the means to participate in low-carbon initiatives are given platforms, while others are left behind.

One artist making radical choices in response to this challenge is Nono Gigsta, who has made the decision to refuse flying to gigs (even to far-away places), to reduce her carbon footprint. Her decision raises critical questions about how climate justice cannot be achieved if only those with the privilege to adopt low-carbon lifestyles are given platforms, while others are left behind. Her approach, detailed in the Slow Gigging movement, suggests that the industry must rethink its structures to accommodate sustainability and inclusivity.

In other words: the fight for climate justice must include the fight against discrimination and exclusion. The story of Lady Shaka comes to mind, an Afro-Polynesian DJ and trans activist, who shows how reclaiming space can serve as an act of resistance. Through her movement to "re-Indigenise" club culture, Lady Shaka is challenging the erasure of marginalised Black and Indigenous voices in electronic music. Similarly, Shishani, draws on her roots in Namibia to address environmental issues directly affecting her homeland. Her anthem "Clean Country" became a rallying cry against nuclear waste in Namibia, highlighting how music can bring critical local issues to global attention.

For artists, climate justice advocacy may find a place in their art or their voice and platform – there are different approaches and, luckily, enough inspiring individuals leading the way. Thanushka Yakupitiyage (DJ Ushka), puts it like this in a Harvard interview: “What I've learned is advocacy is hard. It's not smooth. There's not one way of doing things. [...] We have to be part of a collective unit of people and part of a community who's doing this work because no one of us can single-handedly change anything.”

Festivals can potentially serve as incubators for alternative ways of thinking – as long as both celebratory and conscientious spaces are provided. Through artworks, installations, workshops or podium discussions besides their musical programming, various festivals already provide crucial platforms to creatively raise awareness about complex global issues.

This year’s Glastonbury offers a recent example at the intersection of climate justice and migration. The installation "Terminal 1" confronted festival visitors with the harsh and dehumanising experience of immigration and border policies, recreated by artists – many of whom were migrants themselves. Visitors were subjected to a mock interrogation process, mirroring the lived realities of those displaced by conflict and crisis.

Through art, these distant and complex issues become personal and real. As the world continues to face profound crisis, festivals and the music industry have a responsibility to amplify these struggles, challenge stereotypical narratives, and foster a deeper sense of solidarity. After all, climate justice is inseparable from human rights, migration, and the global inequalities that force people from their homes.

But how do you integrate climate justice into a festival organisation’s ethos? In the past, Shambala has been known for initiatives surrounding renewable energy and waste reduction, leading the way of festivals to adopt more sustainable practices. Over the past few months, they have developed a climate justice manifesto from a festival perspective. A sneak preview of key elements of their action plan, and what this means for their organisation, will be shared during the panel discussion Reclaiming Space: Climate Justice in the Music Industry during ADE Green.

Toward a Just and Sustainable Future

While the music industry cannot solve the climate crisis alone, it holds the power to influence, inspire, and amplify the voices of those most impacted. This means rethinking how events are organised, how artists are supported, and how platforms are used to highlight the realities of climate injustice.

The time for action is here—the music industry should contribute to the broader global effort to combat climate injustice. It’s one important piece of a much larger puzzle, and every action counts. By embracing this responsibility—whether through sustainable touring, creating inclusive spaces, or amplifying voices on the frontlines of climate impacts.

As part of this ongoing conversation, Lady Shaka, Shishani, and Chris Johnson will be speaking at the ADE Green climate justice panel, discussing how the music industry can advance climate justice by dismantling barriers, amplifying unheard voices, and creating a more resilient world. Join this program to learn more about climate justice from the viewpoint of artists and festival organisers.