Shawn Mendes said Friday his upcoming Wonder tour will be as green as possible.
“When we first started talking about greening the tour, I took a hard look at the many different things that make up our carbon footprint, and came face to face with a truly intimidating truth: every little thing we do matters,” reads a statement from the Canadian singer. "I was deeply upset when realizing that I, as an artist, was contributing to the climate crisis by doing one of my favourite things – touring.
“From how we travel, to what we wear, to where our food comes from – how can we possibly keep track of the tiny decisions we make every single day? Looking at the world this way can feel overwhelming.”
Mendes said he and his team came up with a program to reduce his carbon impact by 50 percent per show, compared to his last tour, by consulting with climate scientists and youth activists.
The initiatives include sourcing sustainable fabrics and using less dyes on tour apparel; using energy-efficient equipment, lightning and power in the show; staying at as many environmentally-friendly hotels as possible; eliminating single-use plastics; sourcing local food and donating unused food to local organizations.
Mendes is even pledging to donate unused hotel toiletries to local shelters instead of allowing them to be discarded.
“No plan is perfect, but we see this as a starting point,” Mendes explained. “We are in a pivotal moment for climate, and it’s crucial to me that our tour is a step in the right direction.”
The Wonder tour kicks off June 27 in Portland, Oregon and includes stops in Vancouver on July 2, Calgary on July 4, Edmonton on July 5, Winnipeg on July 7, Toronto on July 31 and Aug. 2 and Montreal on Aug. 15 and 16.