This year the electronic music summit will have a dedicated eco space, with the participation of Ibiza-based organisations and initiatives
Ibiza, 26 April 2022 – The International Music Summit (IMS), one of the most important events in the worldwide electronic music industry, kicks off this week in Ibiza with a new space where sustainability and the environment will play a leading role.
The so-called “Eco-lounge” will be a dedicated area focusing on issues affecting Ibiza, such as plastic pollution, water quality and the protection of Posidonia, as well as global themes such as how to tackle the climate emergency.
Local coworking theHUB Ibiza moves to Destino Pacha Resort during the event to host the Eco-lounge, with the participation of IbizaPreservation and EarthPercent, an initiative of British musician Brian Eno that seeks to raise funds within the sector to support the fight against climate change.
Sam Dean, co-founder of theHUB Ibiza, welcomed the opportunity to raise awareness about environmental issues: “Living on an island as beautiful as Ibiza you are spoiled with nature and reminded of its importance every day.”
“Sustainability is not a trend, it is something that we practise every day and we should all do our bit to increase awareness and action amongst those around us. We are very proud to be helping to push the conversation forward,” added Dean.
EarthPercent will run a workshop for artists, to provide them with tools and strategies to help drive change. “We are delighted that EarthPercent is IMS Ibiza’s sustainability partner, and to support the progress across the dance music community for action on climate,” stated EarthPercent Executive Director Cathy Runciman. “There is so much we can do together to unleash the power of music in service of the planet, and the conversations, collaborations and community-building of this event play a really important role in how we create collective impact.”
In addition, they will use the space to record interviews with keynote speakers and showcasing local environmental initiatives for a podcast series produced in conjunction with Ibiza-based creative audio agency Reset Rebel Productions.
“It feels like an important year for this narrative of the music industry’s impact on climate change to be addressed,” commented Reset Rebel’s Director, Jo Youle. “We are so proud to be able to play a small part in helping to tell the stories that need to be told as a part of that through our podcast, The Reset Rebel, and the talks we will be hosting in the ECO Lounge alongside Earth Percent.”
Meanwhile, IbizaPreservation will use the platform to promote a petition calling for the elimination of single-use plastics from Ibiza’s nightclubs, with a focus on plastic water bottles.
“Ibiza’s nightlife sector is at the forefront internationally in many ways and we believe it is in a position to set the trend in terms of sustainability too,” said Inma Saranova, director of IbizaPreservation, who pointed out that the new Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils for a circular economy requires hospitality establishments to offer free tap water as a measure to reduce the proliferation of single-use bottles. “It is therefore urgent and necessary for nightclubs to develop effective plans aimed at eliminating single-use plastics and promoting reusable containers,” added Saranova.
The foundation is also organising a beach clean-up in Talamanca from 5 to 6pm on Friday 29th, with the aim of raising awareness among conference delegates about the issue of plastic pollution in Ibiza and helping to strengthen ties with the island community.
In addition, local companies promoting sustainability have been invited to exhibit their products in the space, including Plùstic Lab, a business that upcycles plastic waste into objects of value, Green Delivery Ibiza, which promotes local island produce through its online supermarket, and eco-friendly sunscreen manufacturer Ibisun.
Sustainability and the environment will also be a key pillar of the main programme of the summit, which will include keynote speeches by Brian Eno on climate change (joining via videolink) and by the UN on how its Sustainable Development Goals can be applied to the music industry. Recognising the need to mitigate the environmental impact of the event, a 5% donation has been added to the price of delegate badges, with each donation match-funded by IMS and used to fund carbon removal initiatives, working in partnership with A Greener Festival.
The Eco-lounge programme is available via internationalmusicsummit.com.
