Why Billie Eilish and Coldplay Can Do It, But South Korean K-Pop Concerts Cannot

1. Visiting the First 'Low-Carbon' K-Pop Concert in Person
The place I visited last weekend was the Incheon Munhak Stadium. It was a festival called "Sustainable Wave," with god as the headliner. Judging by the cheers on stage, it didn't differ much from any other large-scale K-Pop festival. However, the way the concert was produced was different.

[Han Moon-gyu / CEO of Sound Alliance: We felt that application was necessary in the concert industry as well, so we cautiously attempted this. Therefore, the subtitle of our festival itself is 'Start Wave.' It carries the meaning of taking things forward step by step.]

Behind the stage, large batteries and mobile energy storage systems (ESS) were deployed to reduce the use of diesel generators, which typically supply power for outdoor concerts. Instead of disposable water bottles, artists on stage all used tumblers. The god members even burst into laughter on stage after struggling to open the lids of their tumblers.

[There are arrows on both sides here.]  
[Ah~]

There was also an unfamiliar sight in the audience seating area. A QR code appeared on the main screen, and scanning it opened a page titled "Find Out My Carbon Footprint." Spectators entered their departure points and modes of transportation, and participated in various surveys, all to calculate their carbon emissions.

[Han Moon-gyu / CEO of Sound Alliance: In the case of carbon emissions, we mostly measure audience travel... whether they came using public transportation or private cars. We are also measuring the amount of electricity used for the concert.]

So, what were the interim tally results for the day?

[Cho Hyo-jin / CEO of Carbon Neutral Service Company: When tallied (up to the middle of the event), the reduced (carbon emission) portion compared to general K-Pop or festival concerts is about 20 percent.]

Of course, this does not mean that the overall carbon emissions of the concert decreased by 20 percent. Total concert emissions are calculated after the event concludes by aggregating power consumption and the travel of audiences and staff. Nor is it accurate to call this performance a "carbon-neutral concert."

[Han Moon-gyu / CEO of Sound Alliance: Even expressing that we offset everything is a bit cautious, so... (You mean it's at a stage of making maximum efforts for carbon neutrality?) Yes.]

2. Concerts Are Meant for Enjoyment... Calculating Carbon Too?
This brings up a question. Why do we even need to calculate carbon at a concert meant for enjoyment? Let me show you some numbers. One major agency measured the carbon emissions of its own performances, and the highest emission from a single concert was 3,291 tons. This is the equivalent amount emitted by 715 gasoline-powered cars driving on roads all year round. A 2007 study analyzing carbon emissions in the British music industry showed that about 73 percent of total emissions came from live performances. Albums and streaming aside, concerts took the overwhelming number one spot.

3. What About Overseas Concerts?
Such attempts are already spreading rapidly overseas. Coldplay is a prime example. They generate electricity using solar power during the day, store it in batteries, and use it for nighttime performances. They have even introduced "kinetic floors," where audiences generate electricity directly by pedaling bicycles or jumping on the floor at the venue. As a result, they reduced direct carbon emissions per show by 59 percent compared to their previous world tour. During their concert in Korea in April of last year, the recovery rate for LED wristbands reached 99 percent. Billie Eilish installed 136 solar panels on the Lollapalooza stage in the United States. The installation took just four hours. Batteries charged via solar power supplied the primary stage power for lighting, sound, and visuals. However, there are reasons why importing these overseas methods directly to Korea is difficult. A producer who created Billie Eilish's climate campaign pointed out the following:

[Kurt Lang / Producer of Billie Eilish's 'Overheated': Sixty percent of South Korea's electricity comes from fossil fuels, while solar and wind power account for six percent, which is less than half of the global average of 15 percent.]

Using batteries does not automatically make something low-carbon. This is because what kind of electricity was used to charge them matters. This is also why this festival decided to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in response to its power usage. This suggests that efforts by individual performances have their limits, and the decarbonization of the power grid itself must go hand in hand.

4. What About South Korean K-Pop Agencies?
What about our K-Pop agencies? There is a climate group created directly by K-Pop fans called "KPOP4PLANET," an organization involving global fans. When they analyzed the sustainability reports disclosed by the five major entertainment agencies, cases of utilizing renewable energy in concerts were not found.
If there has been any progress, it is in "measurement." One agency measures and discloses emissions for every performance, and another stated that it has begun measurements, though specific data has not been released. Places that measure have emerged, but places that reduce are still nowhere to be found.

[Kim Na-yeon / KPOP4PLANET Campaigner: They are showing changes, but practically speaking, activities to actually reduce carbon are not yet to be found.]

Fans are already a step ahead. When 601 global K-Pop fans were surveyed, 92 percent responded that they wanted more low-carbon concerts. However, only 14 percent had actually experienced one. We also asked what change fans wanted most. The top answer was neither a renewable energy stage nor a ban on plastics. "Idols directly delivering climate messages" was the highest at 58.6 percent. There is an example showing how powerful this actually is. In 2005—wait, in 2021, BLACKPINK participated in a climate action campaign as COP26 promotional ambassadors, and the response from global fans was so massive that the British Prime Minister at the time sent a personal thank-you letter. Seeing this exact scene and confirming that "fans can move," KPOP4PLANET was formed. Why are fans so desperate? The campaigner's words were striking.

[Kim Na-yeon / KPOP4PLANET Campaigner: We have already experienced a concert being wiped out once. During COVID-19. Our fans never want to go back to that time... and even now, instances of performances being suspended or canceled due to severe weather are increasing...]

The desire to protect the space where they meet their favorite artists is driving fans into climate action. Then why is it difficult to spread domestically? The festival organizer's answer was unexpected. It wasn't a lack of technology.

[Han Moon-gyu / CEO of Sound Alliance: The needs of those who want to apply eco-friendly practices to performances and the needs of those producing performances do not overlap... Those who want to use carbon neutrality and renewable energy want to change, but communication between them itself would be difficult.]

The needs and working methods of the climate-tech industry and the concert industry differ, making even connecting the two industries difficult. Cost issues are also a reality.

[Han Moon-gyu / CEO of Sound Alliance: There are costs involved in transitioning to renewable energy, and electric power generator vehicles still cost more... So it is indeed a festival that costs more overall.]

On top of this, institutional foundations are still lacking. While there is a government green event guideline, it is a standard established in 2008. There is still no unified, modern standard suited for the current K-Pop concert industry and carbon measurement methods. Large concert venues are often operated by local governments, while the concert industry intersects with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and carbon and energy policies connect with the Ministry of Climate. Experts point out that because multiple entities are entangled, a cooperative system is necessary. Still, movements have begun. The organizers stated that they are discussing plans to hold performances once each in Seoul and Incheon starting next year, and calls from local governments wanting to join are continuing. In addition, the National Assembly is pushing to form a carbon-neutral concert guideline consultative body involving both the government and the industry.

[Kurt Lang / Producer of Billie Eilish's 'Overheated': If representative K-Pop artists and agencies adopt low-carbon standards, they will become a model that all other artists will want to follow.]

K-Pop has changed the world's stage, and now its first steps have begun to see whether it can even change the "way the stage is made."

(Reported by Jang Seon-i | Produced by Shin Hee-sook | Video reporting by Choi Ho-jun, Kim Seung-tae, VJ Oh Se-gwan | Video editing by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Design by Lee Jung-joo | Video source: YouTube 'ryanqkfcman', YouTube 'Coldplay', YouTube 'Billie Eilish', YouTube 'KPOP4PLANET' | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.