On Earth Day this year – April 22 – the producer, artist and activist plans to light up the internet with music that has not been heard before to direct attention and funds to the climate crisis. About 100 artists will release material exclusively through Bandcamp – with the platform waiving its charges – and the proceeds will be distributed among causes that are at the forefront of the emergency. “I just finished a track this morning with Michael Stipe,” says Eno, revealing an exclusive collaboration with former REM singer Future If Future. “It will be my first time working with him, even though I once sang with him on Saturday Night Live or something,” the 73-year-old smiles at his recording studio in west London. “I am just happy to be free. It’s a very good song, a very Stipe song. Beautiful lyrics, great song. “ “Their contribution is really important. They have taken the issue very seriously “… Coldplay The list of other entrants is international, intergenerational and eclectic: from alt-poppers Anna Calvi and Weather Station to Z-generation icon Declan McKenna and songwriter Murkage Dave. Coldplay – with whom Eno has produced two albums – will also share music as part of it, and Eno has created new Hot Chip material with Savages drummer Fay Milton. Another contributor is London saxophonist and songwriter Laura Misch. “Music is not created in a vacuum and we have to protect the environment from which it comes,” he says. “A piece looks like a drop in the ocean, but I realized that every drop counts.” Eno, a world-renowned founding member of Roxy Music, a pioneer of environmental music and a partner with David Bowie and U2, has been a supporter of greater action on the climate crisis for years, including supporting the work of law firm ClientEarth along with musicians like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Convinced that the music community could do more and disappointed that less than 3% of charitable funding goes to the climate crisis, Eno co-founded a charity called EarthPercent in 2021. Participating in all corners of the industry – from live area to publishers – asking them to commit a small percentage of their revenue, its goal is to raise $ 100 million (76 76 million) by 2030. EarthPercent diverts that money to “the most influential climate causes”, a group of projects charities selected by an independent “expert advisory group” consisting of more than a dozen contributors, including IPCC author Tamsin Edwards, Professor Brian Cox, and activist Tori Tsui. International, intergenerational and eclectic… Hot Chip, Brian Eno, right and Fay Milton, center “We tried to tell people, ‘Look, if you want to find a simple way to compete in the climate, that’s the answer,’” says Eno. “We are a shortcut to many things that otherwise can be quite difficult to do.” For example, providing assistance to organizations involved in nature management, clean energy and climate justice. Today his studio is quiet, but recently it has been an intense activity with presentations, speeches and brainstorming, as Eno has gathered creatively at his headquarters. “It was so nice to see the excitement and ingenuity in the music industry,” he says, “especially with young artists. You do not need to convince them. All you have to do is tell them, “How would you deal with that?” “They have a lot of ideas.” “It was great to see the excitement and ingenuity in the music industry”… Murkage Dave Part of EarthPercent’s mission is to address the environmental impact of the music industry itself. In particular, touring carbon production has been at the forefront and in recent years some high profile artists have taken steps to address the problem. The Coldplay Music of the Spheres world tour is built around a series of comprehensive “sustainability initiatives” – measures such as a crowded runway and a spectator travel app – that seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 50 % compared to their latest global reports. They will share their findings, creating a blueprint for a more sustainable model around stage events. “Theirs [contribution] “It’s really important,” says Eno. “They have taken the issue very seriously and have devoted a lot of resources to it. They are in front of it when it comes to saying, “We still want to play with people, so what do we do?” “Coldplay was very conscientious and smart.” Other grassroots organizations – such as Music Declares Emergency, A Greener Festival and Reverb – have grown in size, with large and independent record labels joining forces to commit to climate goals by the end of 2021. Massive Attack and 1975 also had The two “ultra-low carbon” concerts scheduled, though ignored by Covid, and the metal band Bring Me the Horizon reduced emissions by 38% during their UK tour in September 2021 through approaches such as serving vegetarian meals to the crew, production trucks powered by renewable diesel HVO and the introduction of more energy efficient equipment. Music – like other industries – is based on the sustainable transition to other sectors (energy, travel, shipping). Until then, international tours continue to have an environmental impact – a criticism that is sometimes leveled at artists. “We all have a footprint, we are all in danger,” Eno said last year. “The problem with hypocrisy is that it turns the spotlight on you and says, ‘You’s the problem – you have to solve the problem yourself.’ “As individuals, we are not really the problem, we are in a system that is problematic.” If successful, Eno plans his Earth Day project to be an annual campaign and hopes EarthPercent’s work could be extended to other creative areas. “The biggest movement in human history is now trying to tackle climate change,” he says. “We do something as a community, and people like that feeling. This is what capitalism did not really understand. It turns out that what really sustains us is doing things together. “