Words by Smiley Team
K-pop has an estimated 89 million fans across the world. Just imagine if they all mobilised to tackle climate change. Well, guess what? An initiative called Kpop 4 Planet is campaigning with this exact goal in mind.
Kpop 4 Planet campaigner Nurul Sarifah tells Smiley News: “We see activism as a powerful way for K-pop fans to raise their voices to change the industry.”
The initiative launched just last year and already, the organisation has engaged tens of thousands of supporters across more than 90 different countries, Nurul says.
Kpop 4 Planet’s main campaign is called No K-pop on a Dead Planet. An online petition spearheads the initiative, calling on the entertainment industry to reduce plastic and waste from K-pop concerts and merchandise.
The petition has surpassed 10,000 signatures and still awaits a response but has already prompted some action in the area of sustainable packaging.
More recently, the group collected more than 8000 albums from fans and delivered them to K-pop entertainment companies to reveal how much plastic waste the industry is producing.
While fans are taking action, their idols are stepping up too. In 2021 South Korean girl group Blackpink was named advocates for COP26, while others have taken actions such as planting trees and using their platforms to encourage climate action.
Seven out of ten K-pop fans are under 24, meaning the fanbase is primarily millennials and Gen Z members - younger generations who are keen to see a safer future for life on Earth.
“As K-pop fans, we see how the climate crisis is getting worse day by day in Asia, with a lot of climate disasters happening,” she explains. “People my age are starting to worry about what the future will be like if we don't do anything. That's why this is particularly important for fans to ask together for a better future.”
SIGN THE PETITION: To encourage the K-pop entertainment industry to become more sustainable, sign Kpop 4 Planet’s petition.
GET INVOLVED: Find out how you can help Kpop 4 Planet drive climate action.
