NBCUniversal Productions Earn Awards for Sustainability On-Screen and Behind the Scenes at the 2024 EMA Awards

Twisters, Hacks, and Top Chef take home prizes for environmental storytelling

November 04, 2024

NBCUniversal joined the 34^th Annual EMA Awards, an annual celebration of sustainable production and environmental messaging in media, hosted by the Environmental Media Association. This year, NBCUniversal took home three awards for on-screen storylines: Universal Pictures’ Twisters for Feature Film, Universal Television’s Hacks for the Paul Junger Witt Comedy Award, and Bravo’s Top Chef for Reality Series. Another NBCUniversal nominee recognized for environmental messaging included E!’s Omg Fashun for Reality Series. The evening also honored Quinta Brunson, currently in development with Universal on a new comedy feature film.

In his acceptance speech for Twisters, director Lee Isaac Chung spoke about capturing the beauty of nature while navigating the challenges of shooting in Oklahoma during tornado season. Chung highlighted the efforts of Universal’s GreenerLight program and the sustainability team’s initiatives behind the scenes, including reducing the use of fossil fuels on-set and minimizing food waste. Chung also recognized the scientists who served as advisors for the film as the “real heroes” for educating the filmmakers about tornadoes and climate science.

“All of us are here because we love this place, we love this earth, and we want to be caretakers of it."

— Lee Issac Chung, Director of Twisters

The EMA Documentary Award winner Bad River from 50 Eggs Films premiered on Peacock on November 1.

In addition to the awards, NBCUniversal earned 17 Green Seals and 32 Gold Seals, the latter an all-time high for the company. The EMA Green Seal program recognizes progress in sustainable production practices, including fuel reduction, reuse and recycling, sustainable building materials, LED lighting, food donations and more.

Below is the complete list of the NBCUniversal 2024 EMA Green and Gold Seal recipients. These productions were avid participants in the NBCUniversal Sustainable Production Program, an initiative launched in 2009 that is dedicated to reducing the environmental impact on film and television productions. This year, the program was expanded to Universal International Studios and NBC Sports, including our first sports production to be recognized: the NBC Olympics broadcast of the Paris 2024 Games.

EMA Gold Seals are a higher tiered recognition and demonstrate exemplary sustainable production practices. 65% of all NBCU EMA Seal recipients earned a Gold Seal, a record for the company, in part thanks to the launch of the NBCU Sustainable Production Standards aimed at moving the needle on fuel emissions and materials conservation on set by requiring minimum metrics are achieved. All film and TV productions that implemented these Standards in 2024 scored an EMA Gold Seal.

2024 EMA Green Seals

Universal Pictures: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy*, Love Hurts*, How to Train Your Dragon*, Him*, Wicked*, Atlantis*, Wolf Man* The Killer

Focus Features: Downton Abbey 3*

Universal Television: St. Denis Medical*, Bel-Air*, Laid*, Law & Order*, A Man on the Inside*, Loot*, The Equalizer*, Hacks*, Lopez vs Lopez*, FBI*, Mr. Throwback*, Chicago Med*, Chicago P.D.*, Chicago Fire*, Harlem*, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, Quantum Leap, The Irrational, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, FBI: Most Wanted, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, On Call, Saturday Night Live