May 2025 Newsletter
A year ago, at the 2024 EMA IMPACT Summit, we sat shoulder to shoulder in a crowded room to hear Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton speak on the dangers and opportunities of a changing climate. We all nodded in agreement as the yin-yang of hope and fear rotated in our bellies. There we were, in one of the world's most creative, talented, and forward-thinking cities, presented with a challenge we are all eager to fix. Los Angeles was our basecamp. Indeed, a changing climate was knocking on our door, but we had time to answer. Then the wildfires happened.
Cut to this year's Summit. EMA Board Member Drew Scott addressed the soot-covered elephant in the room, "You're rooted in your home, your memories, everything in your life. It's where you wake up every morning and go to bed every night, and it affects every aspect of your life, whether it's work or relationships. And we've had that ripped away from us; a lot of families did here in January." That feeling of "ripped away" sat heavy in the hearts of attendees and speakers at this year's 2025 EMA IMPACT Summit. But there was also hope among the pain.
Hosting a space for our community to grieve what was lost and celebrate what remained was an honor we didn't take lightly. Further, seeing familiar and new faces in the same room, with identical hope and eagerness as last year, is a testament to LA's resiliency. During the first quarter of our programming, we learned about creative loss from MOCA fine artists, how to sustainably rebuild what was lost, how we hold the fossil fuel industry responsible, and even an AI solution to detect burns before they spread to unmanageable sizes. There were tears, laughs, and lots of hugs. As artist Diana Thater put it in the opening panel, "The only truly good thing that's has come of the wildfires has been the community's support." And there was more than enough of that good thing at this year's IMPACT Summit.
When discussing topics such as wildfires, deforestation, and toxic chemicals in our products, it's always good to sprinkle in a little levity. Thankfully, EMA knows some hilarious people. For anyone who's ever attended IMPACT, you know to expect a naked lunch. For the third year, Phil Rosenthal brought his popular foodie podcast Naked Lunch (co-starring friend of EMA David Wild) to the stage at IMPACT. Master of dry humor and SNL icon Kevin Nealon joined Phil for a hilarious conversation covering everything from hiking to what to do with a particular electric car brand that's no longer the cool thing to drive (we suggest getting a Toyota, Kevin).
But the laughs didn't stop there. Our resident family comedy duo of EMA Board Members Ed and Hayden Begley had the crowd in tears of joy both days with their viral social challenges of "AMA with Ed" and "Who wants to be a Begley?"
Laughing is critical to bringing more joy into the environmental conversation. Who wants to be part of something depressing?
One of our ongoing goals for IMPACT is to offer Hollywood ideas and gentle nudges to ensure they effectively amplify science and the environment. That's why we programmed back-to-back panels focused on the impressive women of STEM, hoping to inspire writers and showrunners to include them in more stories.
First, it was our honor to have the delightful Miranda Cosgrove bring her hit CBS show "Mission Unstoppable" to the IMPACT Stage. "We want to change the narrative of what it means to be a stem innovator." Correspondent Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly (a NASA Datanaut and Miss Universe Ireland--how's that for a character idea?), Dr. Crystal Dilworth and Nicole Small joined Miranda in driving the message home that media is critical in inspiring the next generation of women in STEM.
Next, PBS Nature offered examples of what such storytelling could be like with their panel of "wild women." Moderated by EMA Young Hollywood Board Member Peyton List, a panel of outstanding women PBS Nature hosts perfectly showcased the potential of female STEM leaders in media. Further, the panel felt extra pertinent given the recent attacks on public media. Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant put it succinctly, "Make sure that the people in your life, communities, and neighborhood understand how much social good public media does."
It should be no surprise to this audience that Earth is losing its last wild places. From the Amazon to the American plains, human activity is pushing biodiversity to its limits. But instead of focusing on what we've lost, we wanted to educate on how to preserve what's left and restore the damage.
IMPACT showcased several brilliant minds offering such solutions. Moderated by actor Sosie Bacon, Return to Freedom provided actions we can take to protect North America's wild horses. EMA Board Member Eli Roth explored Dr. Lawrence Blair's legacy and the documentary's power to preserve wild places. Jesse Metcalfe led a discussion on NBC’s hit nature series "The Americas" and how it seeks to unite Americans around the beauty of nature. Last but not least, filmmakers Chelsea Greene and Robert Grobman explored our final great chance to save the Amazon rainforest with their upcoming documentary "We Are Guardians," now playing in select theaters.
As Sosie said, "When we respect the planet and the animals, they will respect us back. What's good for them is good for us."
If you noticed a youthful energy boost at this year's IMPACT Summit, you can thank our EMA Young Hollywood Board. Sprinkled throughout IMPACT, our EMA YHB sent a strong message to our industry: it's time to make sustainability the norm in Hollywood and listen to those affected by climate change. As YHB Member Elizabeth Turner said, "If all of us just listen to the people who have been impacted, we will know how to use our talents and resources to help." The YHB also conveyed that climate action can be fun, hosting night two's cocktail reception.
In addition to IMPACT's youthful vigor, an array of creators shared how they are playing a role in making a green future in entertainment a reality. Our newest partners at Getty Images ensured our audience that they are working hard to preserve media's credibility in the age of deepfake and AI, all while shifting our culture towards sustainability. On the panel, moderated by Cynthia Littleton Co-Editor in Chief, Variety, Tristen Norman, Director & Head of Creative for the Americas, Getty Images, explained, "Visuals play a huge role in upholding certain ideas and breaking them down."
"Going Global with the EMA Green Seal" explored the role of global productions and studios in ensuring sustainability is the norm. As EMA Corporate Board Member Claire Havett said, "We need to see sustainability in production as a make or break, not just a cherry on top."
Believe it or not, we only covered a fraction of the fascinating conversations, and we can't wait to share the videos with you. Over the summer, we'll roll out videos of every panel on our socials, so ensure you're subscribed!
None of this would have been possible without our tremendously helpful and talented community. The EMA Green Seal-certified Pendry West Hollywood continues to be the most comfortable, chic, and accommodating "home" for our Summit. We are forever grateful to EMA Corporate Board Member Alan Fuerstman and the Montage family for their hospitality. To Traditional Medicinals for keeping us energized and focused with their yummy herbal teas.
Thank you to the most fun partners you could ask for at Rodney Strong Vineyards for keeping our glasses full of delicious and sustainable wines. A sincere thank you to Getty Images, our YHB, DJs, and attendees for making our after-parties so fun no one wanted to leave. And to our long-term partner, Toyota Motor North America, we are truly grateful for your support (and always parking a Prius out front). We thank all our exceptional partners for making IMPACT so special.
As for the show, we want to thank our attendees, our fearless leader CEO Debbie Levin and the EMA team (Asher, Aicha, and Jay), our fantastic Boards, SennoVa, The Lede Company, ISM Agency, our media partners at Variety, and volunteers who ensured our show went on without a hitch. And what an impact it made! With nearly 40M+ impressions on social and 9 BILLION media impressions, we reached more people than ever. Stay tuned for videos!
