Pop star Billie Eilish says the music industry has finally started taking environmental issues more seriously, mainly because artists pushed for change.
In an upcoming episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, Eilish talks with CNN’s Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir about how the industry has evolved since she first became famous in 2016. The singer described the music world as “unbelievably wasteful” at the start of her career, but says improvements are now happening.
“You would not believe how wasteful this industry is,” Eilish said in an exclusive preview clip shared with Billboard. “They then started making plans because we would yell at them. We would demand a plan.”
Eilish’s mother, Maggie Baird, who is also a climate activist, joined the conversation. Both recalled the shock of seeing how little attention the entertainment world gave to environmental impact when they first entered the industry.
“We stepped into this other world, and it was a little bit like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is happening here?’” Baird said.
Eilish, who has won nine Grammy Awards, has made sustainability a major part of her career. She has worked with fashion brands like Nike and Oscar de la Renta to create vegan designs, partnered with the nonprofit REVERB to cut waste on tour, and launched a climate summit called Overheated in 2022. Her mother also founded Support + Feed in 2020, which focuses on fighting climate change and food insecurity.
In past interviews, Eilish has criticized the practice of releasing multiple vinyl record versions to encourage fans to buy extra copies, calling it harmful to the environment. However, she says some progress has been made. Major companies like Universal Music Group have adopted greener policies since she signed with them almost 10 years ago.
The live music scene is also changing. Festivals like Lollapalooza now use battery-powered hybrid systems for main stages, and Coachella introduced a zero-carbon stage in 2025.
Eilish’s segment will appear in an episode called “Change Amplified: Live Music and the Climate Crisis”, airing July 20 at 8 p.m. ET. Other musicians featured include Bonnie Raitt, Jack Johnson, Perry Farrell, and AJR’s Adam Met. Each will discuss their own efforts to reduce the music industry’s environmental impact.
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