Beggars Group and Ninja Tune Pledge to Become Carbon Negative

Beggars Group—the record label group that comprises 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings, and Young—and Ninja Tune—which also incorporates Big Dada and Technicolour and works closely with Brainfeeder—have pledged to become carbon neutral. Beggars hopes its UK-managed operations will be carbon negative by the end of next year, while the group is aiming for carbon negativity for its U.S.-managed operations by 2024. Ninja Tune, meanwhile, is aiming to be carbon neutral by the end of 2021.

Beggars Group is looking to half its total supply chain-related carbon emissions by 2030. According to the group, it will “identify and adopt lower-impact vinyl and CD production techniques.” In addition, Beggars plans to utilize sea freight for shipping, reduce business travel, and “drive engagement on sustainability topics with [its] staff.”

To begin reduce its own emissions, Ninja Tune is changing the central gas heating system at its offices to electric air-source heat pumps, and offices in London, Los Angeles, and Berlin will get other eco-friendly upgrades. The label also will not own or operate any vehicles.

Prior to the new initiative, Ninja Tune had already made environmentally friendly changes to its products: The label says it stopped selling CDs in plastic jewel cases in 2008, and most Ninja Tune LPs are pressed to 140 gram vinyl as opposed to 180 gram vinyl. Going forward, all CD and vinyl sleeves will be made from recycled cardboard and paper.

Back in 2019, Coldplay said they did not plan to go on tour in support of their then-new album Everyday Life due to environmental concerns. That same year, Massive Attack partnered with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to commission a major study of carbon emissions from the live music industry.

Read “How the Record Industry Is Trying to Make Vinyl More Environmentally Friendly” on the Pitch.