COP26: Coldplay among artists creating playlists to ‘spark conversation’ ahead of UN climate change conference in Glasgow

Music heavyweights including Coldplay have joined a campaign using playlists to prompt public discussion in the run-up to this year’s UN Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The Chris Martin-fronted band are among 60 artists, festivals and industry groups who have curated selections for the environmental law charity ClientEarth.

Named Playlists For Earth, the song titles on each list read as a sentence to communicate a message about the climate.

Artists Brian Eno, Anna Calvi and Hot Chip, London festivals British Summer Time and All Points East, and record labels including Dirty Hit, the home of The 1975, have all pledged to support the campaign.

In 2019, Coldplay singer Martin said the band were suspending their world tour in support of their album Everyday Life until they could ensure it was carbon neutral.

Mercury Prize nominated singer-songwriter Anna Calvi, another of the artists to curate a playlist, said: “We should be talking about the climate crisis now more than ever, and taking action to protect the planet we love. We need to see a massive cultural change and an immediate Government response.

“That’s why I wanted to be a part of Playlists For Earth, to spark conversation and explore what’s happening in the world in a new way in the lead-up to the UN climate conference. It’s so important that we use our position in the arts to say something, as art really has the power to turn people’s attention to issues.”

London-born funk and jazz artist Tom Misch said: “I think music can be a good way of getting people talking ahead of the UN climate conference this year.”

Coldplay, Brian Eno and Anna Calvi have joined a campaign using playlists to encourage action against climate change.

ClientEarth, the international group behind the project, is a non-profit organisation that uses the law to hold governments and companies to account over climate change and adjacent issues such as air pollution.

Its founding chief executive James Thornton said: “There are no more powerful tools to do so than art, music and literature. That’s why, ahead of Cop26, and five years on from the Paris Agreement, we have joined forces with musicians, record labels, creatives and festivals to reframe and mix up the climate discussion using the most universal language we have – music.”

People can listen at www.playlistsforearth.com or by searching #PlaylistsForEarth on Spotify.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.