K-Pop’s CD Problem: Environmental Groups Sound Alarm on Industry’s Carbon Footprint
variety.comNaman Ramachandran In an industry first, K-pop CD sales surpassed 100 million units in 2023, marking a 50% increase from the previous year despite the dominance of digital streaming.
However, this milestone has raised concerns about the mounting environmental impact of physical album production, according to a report from French news agency AFP.
According to a study by Britain’s Keele University, producing a single CD generates approximately 500 grams of carbon emissions, per the AFP report.
Environmental group Kpop4Planet, founded in 2020 by an Indonesian fan, has calculated that weekly sales from just one top K-pop group could generate emissions “equivalent to flying around the Earth 74 times.” The surge in physical sales stems from sophisticated marketing strategies employed by music labels.
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