In Warner Music Group’s sprawling 2023 ESG report, released Tuesday (Jan. 30), the label outlined plans and goals for its workforce, artists and environmental impact.

“We are determined to transform our business and spur industry change to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis,” the report states in an expansive section on sustainability practices. “This includes measuring and understanding WMG’s environmental footprint, setting science-based targets to reduce emissions…and leveraging our scale, experience and partnerships to foster cross-industry cooperation to minimize the environmental impacts of making and distributing music.”

For the company, these changes start with the company’s brick-and-mortar spaces, with the goal that “WMG will source 100% renewable energy for our operations” by 2030.

The plan is to first implement this initiative in WMG’s global offices and workspaces before rolling it out to WMG-owned and operated facilities. The company also plans to decarbonize its workplaces through 100% renewable energy-based power by 2030.

The report cites WMG joining with Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group in 2023 to establish the Music Industry Climate Collective. The first initiative of this working group has been supporting the development and implementation of sector-specific guidelines for calculating Scope 3 GHG emissions within the recorded music industry. “Scope 3” refers to indirect emissions that occur in the value chain, such as those from product manufacturing, distribution and licensing.

The company also noted a previously announced partnership with MIT, Live Nation, Coldplay and Hope Solutions to understand and mitigate the environmental impact of the live events.

The company cites a goal of increasing public transportation utilization by 20% at Warner Music live events. This effort has already resulted in a partnership between Warner Music Finland Live and Helsinki City Public Transportation, which has provided fans with free public transportation included in their concert tickets.

With its environmental impact data independently reviewed and assured by a third-party auditor for the first time in 2023, WMG reports that in the past year, it has made “significant strides” in its Scope 1 and 2 data collection, analysis and methodology. (Scope 1 and 2 refers to emissions that are owned or controlled by the company and indirect emissions that result from activities of the company.)

“Despite our return to office,” the report says, its efforts “have led to an overall decrease in our reported Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions for 2023.”

The report also cites successful employee-driven initiatives, including its U.K. Wrights Lane office eliminating single-use plastic and switching to reusable cutlery and serveware. The WMG office in France has eliminated paper cups and improved waste management to increase recycling.

Regarding sustainable products and merchandise, the company outlines “an industry-first method” of creating vinyl albums using PVC alternatives. Says the report: “We are delivering these changes in partnership with our artists and songwriters, many of whom are increasingly looking for ways to share music with their fans in a sustainable way.”

Read the full report here.

After producing for Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Travis Scott and more for over a decade, Hit-Boy has solidified his stance as one of the best rap producers in the game.

The three-time Grammy winner is up for producer of the year, non-classical this year, and it’s the second time he’s been nominated in the category. “I didn’t have no label budget. Everything is funded by me, music by me, engineered by me, studio time by me, like literally coming out of my pocket. I feel like I already won for real,” he told Billboard News‘ Tetris Kelly. “I don’t have no big powerful manager like the rest of the producers. I’m thuggin’ this sh– by myself with a couple of my homies.”

But Hit-Boy isn’t always solo in the studio. In the last three years, Hit-Boy has executive produced six albums for Nas, with three King’s Disease and three Magic albums. Nas won his first-ever Grammy in 2021 in the best rap album category with the first King’s Disease installation.

“Nas empowers me to be the best producer I can and allows me to grow through my production process. When he comes [to] lay two, three verses and a hook, and [he’s] like, ‘Yo, do what you do.’ I’m doing breakdowns, I’m adding additional keys, I’m doing things to just keep the production interesting. And when he comes back to the studio, he like, ‘Yo! I didn’t expect this. My mind is blown. What made you think to put this sound and it matches what I’m saying?’” he says. “We got mutual, super respect. He allows me to be me and grow through this, and I allow him to be him. He’s one of the greatest, period. I just try to keep my ear open, my eyes open. That’s how you got 80 songs in three years — you got to leave ego out the room.”

The 36-year-old producer hitmaker (real name Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr.) recently worked with another superstar, Jennifer Lopez, on her first single of the year, “Can’t Get Enough.” The song, which Latto recently hopped on for the remix, arrives ahead of J.Lo’s ninth studio album This Is Me… Now, due Feb. 16 via Nuyorican Productions and BMG. And it’s not the first time Hit-Boy has ever worked with her: His first official beat placement was on Lopez’s “Forever” from her 2007 album Brave.

But the most special collaborator he’s ever worked with is his father Big Hit, who recently finished serving nine years of a 12 year-sentence after being found guilty and convicted of a hit-and-run in L.A. resulting in great bodily injury in 2014. After being released from prison, Big Hit went straight to the studio and started getting back to work. The father-son duo released Surf or Down, Vol. 2 just in time for Father’s Day last year. Then Hit-Boy executive produced his father’s highly anticipated debut album The Truth Is In My Eyes, which was released on December 16, 2023, exclusively on Big Hit’s Bandcamp. Two weeks later, at the top of this year, Hit-Boy, Big Hit and The Game joined forces on the 9-track project Paisley Dreams.

“It’s a dream come true…. Sitting and just laying in the bunker in the cell, surrounded by all the concrete and all the noise, all the bullsh–, trying to block it out, I just told myself, ‘One day, I’mma be in the mansion. I’ll focus on the vision.’ And I stayed focused,” said Big Hit. And that focus doesn’t go unnoticed by his own son. “[I’m] getting to know different parts of myself through him and seeing his work ethic. Since I was a teenager, people be like, ‘All you do is work. You locked in all the time.’ I got that hustle in my blood, you know what I mean? Seeing him record 300 songs in seven months, I’m trying to keep up with him now!” Hit-Boy added.

Watch Hit-Boy’s full Billboard News interview above.