Neste’s renewable fuels take Coldplay around the world – collaboration helps the band towards 50% reduction in its world tour related carbon emissions
Neste Corporation, Press Release, 5 May 2022 at 3:15 p.m. (EET)
Photo: Coldplay
Coldplay is partnering up with Neste to take steps towards the band’s target of reducing CO2 emissions from the Music Of The Spheres World Tour by 50% compared to the band’s previous world tour. Neste will provide Coldplay with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to help reduce emissions from air travels, while the company’s renewable diesel will help cut emissions from the band’s tour transports and stage power generation.
In 2019, Coldplay pressed pause on their touring until it could be done in a more sustainable way. To achieve its ambition for more sustainable touring, Coldplay has explored e.g. lower-emission alternatives to power aircraft, power generators and road vehicles necessary for a successful world tour. Sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel proved the best option for these.
As the leading producer and supplier of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel globally, Neste is uniquely positioned to supply Coldplay with the necessary volume of renewable fuels – produced from 100% renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oil – to reduce emissions from the North American and European legs of the Music Of The Spheres World Tour.
Neste helps Coldplay work towards reducing touring-related carbon emissions with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™, which can reduce carbon emissions on flights by up to 80% when compared to conventional jet fuel use. Coldplay will also use Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ for the trucks transporting the band’s equipment from one concert location to another during the tour.
Neste’s renewable diesel will be additionally used in stationary power generators, creating renewable, low-emission electricity for the concert. Coldplay will use Neste’s renewable diesel on stage or in the logistics in altogether seven Coldplay concerts in the US and in 22 concerts in Europe. It is estimated that with Neste-produced renewable diesel and SAF, Coldplay will be able to reduce their tour transport related carbon footprint during the North American and European legs of the tour by around 50%.
“We're really happy to partner with Neste to make our Music Of The Spheres World Tour as sustainable as possible. Their low-emission renewable fuels will play a major part in our efforts to minimise the tour’s climate impact,“ Coldplay says.
“We’ve tried to put sustainability at the center of this tour because it just feels like the only option,” says Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
“Coldplay is one of the world's most popular touring bands, and their ambition to make their Music Of The Spheres World Tour as sustainable as possible is extremely inspiring. The world needs these kinds of changemakers to lead the way towards a more sustainable future,“ says Minna Aila, Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Affairs and member of the Neste Executive Committee at Neste. “We at Neste are excited and proud to join forces with Coldplay to help reduce emissions from their world tour concerts and tour-related transports with our renewable fuels.”
Renewable fuels reducing transportation emissions globally
Neste has been developing renewable solutions to tackle the rising climate emissions for over two decades. Over that time, Neste has been transforming from a regional oil refiner in Finland towards becoming the industry’s first and only company with production facilities on three continents and capability to supply renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and renewable feedstock for the polymers and chemicals sector globally. Neste’s proprietary NEXBTL refining technology enables it to process low-quality waste and residues into renewable products. The company’s annual production capacity of 3.3 million tons (1.14 billion gallons) of high-quality renewable fuels and other renewable products will be increased to 4.5 million tons (1.56 billion gallons) in early 2023, and it is expected to increase further to 5.5 million tons (1.9 billion gallons) by the end of 2023.
“While many solutions to combat climate change are still in early stages of development, Neste’s renewable fuels are already available and widely used by cities and municipalities, companies, airlines, consumers – and now even by Coldplay, one of the most popular bands in the world – to reduce their transport-related carbon footprint. We hope their example inspires many others to start doing what they can to create a healthier planet for our children,” concludes Minna Aila from Neste.
Neste Corporation
Susanna Sieppi
Vice President, Communications
Further information:
Please contact Neste’s media service, tel. +358 800 94025 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. EET).
More on the collaboration: www.neste.com/coldplay
More on Music Of The Spheres World Tour: https://sustainability.coldplay.com/
Neste in brief
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. Our ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe by 2030. We are introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as liquefied waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and we will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. We also have set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and supply chain. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2021, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 15.1 billion. Read more: neste.com
Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of air travel by up to 80%* over the entire life cycle compared to the conventional fossil jet fuel that it replaces. The volume of SAF provided to Coldplay enables a GHG emission reduction equaling approximately 50% of the band’s air travel related emissions during the tour.
With Neste MY Renewable Diesel™, GHG emissions can be reduced by as much as 75% to 95%** when emissions over the fuel's life cycle are compared with fossil diesel.
*) Based on use of 100% SAF, unblended with fossil jet fuel. Calculated with established life cycle assessment methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology.
**) The GHG emission reduction percentage varies depending on the region-specific legislation that provides the methodology for the calculations (e.g. EU RED II 2018/2001/EU for Europe and US California LCFS for the US), and the raw material mix used to manufacture the product for each market.
