A new study in Communications Sustainability proposes a framework to evaluate whether major entertainment events like the FIFA World Cup or Coldplay tours are socially viable from a climate perspective. The authors use welfare economics, comparing consumer willingness to pay from secondary ticket markets against the social cost of carbon from event emissions. Their case studies suggest that while consumer benefits often exceed emissions costs, the World Cup may not be viable under higher carbon cost estimates. The framework also introduces the principle of shared responsibility, arguing that producers should take greater ownership of indirect emissions, especially spectator travel. The study suggests tools like ticket rebates and better event location choices could reduce emissions by nearly half, as seen in Coldplay's 2024 European tour. This shifts the conversation from offsets to structural changes in how events are planned and priced.
