“Last Night a DJ Took a Flight” is an excellent name for a report, even if many DJs’ touring has been grounded for more than a year by Covid-19. But the report, from Clean Scene, is an important analysis of the environmental impact of the electronic music industry before Covid struck, with thoughts on how the pandemic could be used as an “opportunity for change” when the DJ circuit returns.

The analysis includes an estimate that the top 1,000 DJs (as ranked by Resident Advisor) took more than 51k flights in 2019, with a whopping carbon footprint accordingly.

“By travelling over 118,000 km per year, the average DJ from RA’s top 1000 has double the impact of even the world’s frequent-flying ‘super emitters’,” it noted. “The average touring DJ emits 35 tonnes of CO2 per year and their carbon footprint is more than 17 times higher than the recommended personal carbon budget of approximately 2 tonnes of CO2.”

The report isn’t seeking to blame DJs, but rather to find ways to tackle the challenge: from more efficient tour routing and better support for local DJs to offsets and green riders.

Image by Vladimir Hodac / Shutterstock.com