Music Declares Emergency Will Host a Climate Summit in Halifax Ahead of the Juno Awards

Music Declares Emergency (MDE) Canada is looking to spark conversation about the climate crisis at this year's Juno Awards. Ahead of the ceremony on Mar. 24, the advocacy organization will host a Mini Music Climate Summit at the Halifax Central Library, on Mar. 22, to promote the need for climate action in the music industry.

The summit will feature panel discussions and interactive workshops, with notable speakers including Devin Latimer of Trout Forrest Music Festival; Elsa Tokunag, sustainability coordinator for This Hour Has 22 Minutes; and agent and manager Adam Kreeft, a board member of MDE Canada. Also speaking is Kelly Drennan of non-profit Fashion Takes Action, which has prepared a guide to greening the Junos red carpet through sustainable fashion choices.

The free, one-day event will consider topics such as sustainable transportation, carbon calculation, merch and food, and much more, providing an opportunity for industry members to share best practices and develop strategies around curbing emissions in the industry. MDE Canada previously held Canada's first Music Climate Summit in Toronto in 2022.

The climate summit accompanies MDE Canada's Climate Emergency Concert on Mar. 17 in Halifax, where artists like Talia Schlanger and Jenn Grant will pay tribute to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, two Canadian musicians who have used their platforms to promote environmental awareness.

The music industry has a significant environmental impact, from vinyl production to streaming to, especially, live performance. Individual artists like Coldplay, Massive Attack and more are already working with environmental organizations and policy experts to reduce that impact, while organizations like MDE Canada seek to push the conversation forward at a systemic level.

The Mini Music Climate Summit takes place Mar. 22 at the Halifax Central Library. Register here to attend.