Sustainability in the music industry: How IMPALA is paving the way for independent labels

The music industry is making strides towards sustainability, with leaders and organizations across the globe starting to develop strategies to reduce their environmental impact and promote responsible practices.

Karla Rogozar is the Network Development, Sustainability and Project Manager at IMPALA, the European association of independent record labels based in Brussels. IMPALA’s mission is to foster sustainable growth within the independent music sector, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change, and increase access to financing. Karla leads IMPALA’s sustainability initiatives, including a carbon calculator, and manages network development activities, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

Born and raised in Croatia, Karla studied languages but maintained a lifelong passion for music. Following a traineeship at the European Parliament in Luxembourg and a role at the Croatian collecting society, she moved to Belgium in October 2020 to begin her journey with IMPALA.

One of the main reasons she applied for the internship was IMPALA’s focus on sustainability, which aligned with her desire to work for a socially conscious organization. Over time, her role evolved, and she is now IMPALA’s Sustainability Manager, responsible for coordinating its sustainability task force.

Rogozar shared her insights on the practical steps IMPALA is taking to foster sustainability in the music industry, as well as the challenges and successes in their journey towards a greener future.

What are the most effective sustainability solutions or actions you’ve implemented within your work at IMPALA?

One of the most impactful steps we’ve taken at IMPALA was establishing our Sustainability Task Force back in 2020. This group has been a driving force behind several initiatives, from launching our Sustainability Programme to developing the Carbon Calculator for members. It continues to push forward on various sustainability projects that are essential to label operations.

Sustainability initiatives often come with challenges. Can you share some of the major obstacles you’ve faced in implementing these practices?

Our biggest challenge is working with members across 33 European countries. We quickly learned that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, as each country and company has unique needs. On the positive side, this diversity brings many learning opportunities among our members, with knowledge-sharing being one of our greatest strengths as a network.

IMPALA released a business case for sustainability. What were the key findings and how do they demonstrate that sustainability is not just ethical, but also a sound business strategy?

The key takeaways from our business case demonstrate how sustainability aligns with good business practice. 

For a deeper look, we invite readers to explore the full business case, where we illustrate how implementing sustainable practices benefits both the planet and the bottom line.

What are the top three practical actions or steps that record labels can take immediately to reduce their environmental impact?

First, switch to a green energy provider. Second, designate someone on the team to focus on sustainability, ensuring they start by understanding the company’s carbon footprint. We recommend our Carbon Calculator, available to our members, but there are other free tools like those provided by Julie’s Bicycle that can be helpful as well.

How crucial is the support of artists in promoting sustainable practices within the music industry? And how can their influence drive change?

Music has a unique ability to reach diverse audiences and inspire societal change, and it’s powerful when this influence promotes environmental action. Artists like Billie Eilish and Massive Attack, and initiatives like “Music Declares Emergency” highlight how musicians can use their voices for the planet. 

The governing bodies understand this soft power, which allowed us to meet ex-Commissioners Timmermans and Gabriel and discuss the role of culture and music in advancing sustainability action.

IMPALA has developed a carbon calculator for the independent music sector. Why is it important for artists and labels to understand their carbon footprint? How should they use this information in practical terms?

Simply, knowledge is power. Understanding how your business operates in all aspects translates into making more informed decisions and ultimately a more efficient business. In practical terms, for example, if you know that a big portion of your footprint comes from physical distribution (by air freight), a simple change of planning your releases in advance and shipping your products by sea could save you lots of carbon – and money!

How does IMPALA approach offsetting and climate investing? What are the best practices independent labels and artists should follow in this regard?

IMPALA has stepped away from “offsetting” a couple of years ago, as climate science suggested this wasn’t the best way to go. Instead, what we suggest our members to focus on is “climate investment”.

For example, we encourage investments in projects that have more immediate systemic impact, like Murmur. These investments provide opportunities for businesses to directly fund a whole range of climate mitigation work; from community-based projects to policy advocacy, climate justice campaigns to legal interventions, or even “insetting” schemes that help remove carbon in our own industry. While these projects won’t make emissions disappear, they will help accelerate wider systemic change.

It should also be noted that we see this as the very last step of carbon accounting, with a couple of steps preceding it.

The recommended course of action would be: 

• 1. Measure your carbon footprint annually with the IMPALA Carbon Calculator
• 2. Reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from your business operations and suppliers
• 3. Allocate funds for climate investment or environmental projects to take responsibility for unavoidable emissions
• 4. Repeat

Looking ahead, how do you see sustainability evolving within the music industry?

Judging by the progress made in the industry in the past couple of years, I have high hopes for the future. I believe it  lies in coordinated efforts, like the one started by the Music Climate Pact, Murmur or Music Declares Emergency. My hope is that sustainability will become just a regular aspect of any business, with carbon accounting treated with the same importance as financial accounting.