‘Eco musician’ makes world’s first carbon-neutral album
A musician has taken a huge leap forward in sustainability with the release of the world’s first carbon-neutral album.
Pianist/producer Wojtek Szczepanik whose musical style follows in the same vein as minimalists Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds and Lubomyr Melnyk, used 100 percent renewable energy when recording his piano section to offset the 78kg of CO2 in electricity and the 147kg of CO2 used in the complete production.
To further reduce the carbon footprint, Szczepanik has not put the album out on digital or vinyl formats.
This amount of carbon dioxide is equivalent to travelling 1,130 km by car and can be compensated by growing 2 and a half trees for 10 years according to Wojtek’s calculations.
To offset the 204 kg of CO2 created by his flights from Gdańsk to London he purchased fuel via flygreenland.se and also used his bike to travel around to help offset emissions related to the album.
The 23-year-old did research to understand where and how emissions are being generated during recording and production of music.
The 23-year-old said: “I did research to understand where and how the emissions are being generated to the atmosphere during recording and production of music.
“I also started to look into the climate footprint of the music sector beyond recording and production. I recorded Atmosphere in a studio that uses renewable energy.
“I secured that the same amount of renewable energy was provided to the energy grid, as it was taken during the recording and the production.”
He added: “The album’s title, ‘Atmosphere’, refers on the one hand to the climate crisis as I believe it is humankind's greatest challenge right now.”
To further reduce the carbon footprint, Szczepanik has not put the album out on digital or vinyl formats, instead relying on streaming.
Szczepanik said he hoped his new album might be the next small step in making an industry enjoyed by billions around the world one that works for the planet.
Bands such as Coldplay have said that they will no longer tour until they can make their tours carbon neutral, Massive Attack are working with Manchester University to study the impact of their touring, recording and output, while Billie Eilish introduced eco-villages at her concerts to help educate her fans on the environmental problems facing the world.
Bands such as Coldplay have said that they will no longer tour until they can make their tours carbon neutral.
Szczepanik said he hoped his new album might be the next small step in making an industry enjoyed by billions around the world one that works for the planet.
