12.11.24: UK Music’s sustainability lead Hannah McLennan attended the Big Creative UK Summit: Climate Solutions at City Hall in London.  

The event opened with a welcome speech from journalist Qasa Alom. Qasa talked about his passion for environmental conservation and some of the issues the planet is currently facing, which he has witnessed first-hand working in environmental journalism. 

Justine Simons OBE, the Deputy Mayor of London for Culture and the Creative Industries, then took to the stage to deliver a keynote address. She spoke about the ways London’s cultural and creative sectors had been shaping the city’s future, highlighting the transformative power of the arts. 

The energy remained high as participants delved into the first panel of the day on impact investment, chaired by Laura Elvin from Iusegenius. This discussion brought together thought leaders and innovators to explore how targeted investments can drive significant, sustainable impact and create meaningful change for businesses. 

The next keynote address came from Mete Coban, the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy. He shared insights on the main environmental challenges facing London, painting a vivid picture of how these efforts had been reshaping the city’s landscape. He also talked about how the cultural and creative industries can fully help support this agenda. 

A highlight of the day was the showcase of Challenge Fund Recipients, a series of presentations hosted by Samantha Lynch from Innovate UK. This segment introduced five projects:  

• ZAP Concepts, who have pioneered sustainable energy solutions for band like Coldplay. 

• LaundRe, a company revolutionising eco-friendly denim production. 

• Green-BiT Software’s, whose mission is to reduce the gaming industry’s carbon footprint by monitoring energy use and carbon output per game for player. 

• Heata’s innovative project with Dupe VFX, which explored the recycling of heat by using server waste created from making visual effects for TV and film to cut household energy bills. 

• Hawkr, a company exploring new, environmentally friendly ways to buy and sell merchandise for fans and artists. 

Cathy Runciman of EarthPercent delivered the final keynote address, emphasising the critical connection between music, culture, and environmental responsibility. She highlighted EarthPercent’s initiative to credit Earth as a songwriter and made a compelling case for the role of creative industries in tackling the climate crisis. 

The day concluded with an intimate and insightful fireside chat, hosted by Chiara Badiali from Julie’s Bicycle. This discussion featured conversations with representatives from various Challenge Fund projects, such as Ratliff/Landells, Studio Sam Causer, and Inspiring Yarns CiC. They shared their journeys, challenges, and the creative approaches that had driven their success. 

The day was incredibly inspirational and will help UK Music continue to develop its own work on environmental sustainability, which you can read more about here. With thanks to the Mayor of London, Creative UK, Innovate UK and EIT Culture & Creativity for organising such a great event.