MUMBAI: In conjunction with Earth Week 2021, Ninja Tune – one of the largest independent record label groups – have announced ambitious, industry leading environmental targets that will soon see the company transform to a carbon negative position.
These announcements come at the start of ‘Turn Up The Volume’, a week curated by Music Declares Emergency which aims to highlight the amazing work on sustainability already taking place across UK music and bring together artists and fans to create a better, greener, fairer future for all.
Ninja Tune is one of the founding members of IMPALA’s Sustainability Taskforce, established in March 2021, which aims to encourage European independent labels to work together to address sustainability issues in a collaborative manner. The programme consists of a climate charter, overall targets and voluntary tools for IMPALA members.
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The company is focusing action on areas where they have the largest environmental impacts. Initiatives include encouraging pressing plants to switch to renewable power, reducing the impact of freight operations and minimising business travel. In addition, they have installed renewable energy systems at their London office.
Ninja Tune, who also incorporate scene defining labels like Big Dada and Technicolour and work closely with Brainfeeder, are committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2021 and carbon negative beyond that. The label will measure its environmental impacts, continue to work on reductions, and balance the remaining using tree planting, rainforest protection and other carefully chosen and audited real world actions. This builds on a series of changes including the removal of CD jewel cases from all their releases 12 years ago, switching to 140g vinyl and using sustainably sourced FSC card and paper in packaging, and long running support for environmental groups including Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion and The Rainforest Trust.
Ninja Tune Chair, Peter Quicke, comments: “The climate crisis is already affecting millions of people, governments need to act now. Ninja Tune’s net zero commitment reflects an active drive towards sustainability, but it’s also a call for widespread change.”
Ninja Tune
Formed in 1990 by Matt Black & Jon More (Coldcut)-has established itself as one of the world’s leading independent record labels. Now a bonafide global music institution, synonymous with diverse, uncompromising releases and equally visionary artists, committed to pushing the boundaries of music.
The label has recently celebrated a number of significant events including a notable GRAMMY nomination for Jayda G, two Top-5 UK charting albums from Bicep-who are also nominated for two BRIT awards-and Black Country, New Road, plus the relaunch of our Big Dada imprint as a label run by Ninja Tune’s Black, POC & Minority Ethnic staff for Black, POC & Minority Ethnic artists. Via our longstanding partnership with Brainfeeder to release, promote and distribute their incredible and ever-expanding catalogue worldwide-we also celebrated Thundercat’s GRAMMY win, and welcomed Hiatus Kaiyote to Brainfeeder for the release of their new album.
In the 30-plus years since formation, Ninja Tune has become a home for forward-thinking artists who are at the forefront of their fields, with celebrated releases from the likes of: Bonobo, The Cinematic Orchestra, Roots Manuva, Kelis, Jayda G, Young Fathers, Bicep, Floating Points, Black Country New Road, Little Dragon, Sampa The Great, Run The Jewels, Diplo, Helena Hauff, Actress, Coldcut, Peggy Gou, Julianna Barwick, Jordan Rakei, Maribou State, ODESZA, Tycho, Leon Vynehall, India Jordan, The Bug, Marie Davidson, TSHA, Park Hye Jin & via Brainfeeder: Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Ras G, Teebs, Ross From Friends and many more.
Growing from the brainchild of a two-person team to an organisation boasting 70+ employees based across the world including headquarters in London and LA, we continue to champion new technologies and innovative ways to develop our artists vision.
Music Declares Emergency
Since its launch in London in July 2019, Music Declares Emergency has worked with the music industry and artists to harness the power of music to educate, inspire and engage the public with the climate emergency and to facilitate industry wide conversations to encourage and envision a sustainable music industry. Our declarers now number over 5000 and include all the UK major labels and industry organisations across all sectors, globally famous recording artists and performers and individuals working within the music industry. All are committed to using their influence to bring conversations around the climate emergency into the mainstream of public debate.
