— Written by Shayna Berglas

A Platform for Change

Now in its fifth year, the Hollywood Climate Summit brings together multi-sector media professionals through high-energy events and creative partnerships. These gatherings are not just about networking; they're about leveling up climate knowledge, sparking collaborations, and aligning strategies to create meaningful change. The Summit is designed to showcase innovation and lead a cultural movement towards climate optimism and action.

The Power of Media in Climate Communication

Pop culture is a powerful influence on societal beliefs and behaviors. Today's entertainment sector doesn't just entertain; it informs and shapes our understanding of critical issues like climate change. Research from Harmony Labs highlights the massive potential entertainment media has to reach people who are currently unengaged with traditional climate information.

At the same time, only 2.8% of Hollywood scripts analyzed by Good Energy and Norman Lear Center’s Media Impact Project had mentioned any climate-adjacent terms. Only 0.6% of scripted TV and films mentioned the specific term “climate change.” This Summit seeks to galvanize writers and producers to tell stories that involve climate more.

Adults trust science information from documentary films over news sources, and GenZ uses TikTok and Instagram as their primary news sources and search engines. People spend an average of 19 hours weekly with TV or video game characters, sometimes more than with their own families. This highlights the critical role that storytellers and media professionals play in shifting the narrative from climate doom to one of hope and justice.

Driving Systemic Change

The Hollywood Climate Summit isn't just about individual impact; it's about collective action. By convening a multidisciplinary collective at scale, the Summit breaks down information silos and bridges mission-aligned groups, creatives, and companies. Through workshops, think tanks, and campaigns, the Summit curates bespoke experiences for focused learning and strategizing around specific topics, skill sets, companies, or communities.

At its core, the Hollywood Climate Summit is about energizing climate optimism while deepening climate literacy. By connecting climate stories with acquisition and development opportunities, the Summit improves the pipeline for climate content to reach audiences. It challenges the expectations of what a climate story can be, amplifying a variety of genres, plotlines, and formats that are commercially viable and entertainment-forward.

When creators and messengers of culture leverage their expertise and platforms to embrace the values needed in the era of climate change, they can drive systemic change and reshape dominant narratives. The Hollywood Climate Summit proves that together, we can transform visions of despair into stories of resilience and hope.

The 2024 Hollywood Climate Summit starts on Tuesday, June 25th. This is your chance to be part of a transformative event that not only showcases solutions but also inspires action!

As a Community Partner, we can offer discounted tickets:

• Community Partner Full Conference Activist-Priced Pass

• Community Partner Activist-Priced Single Day Pass 

What We’re Watching 🎥, Reading 📚, and Listening to 🎧

Searching for more positive and informative climate content? Look no further!

• 🎥 #LandBack is a Natural Right | Pique Action

• 📰 Austria’s Last-Minute Support Enables EU Nature Restoration Law | Euronews

• 🎧 Kip Pastor on Engaging Hearts and Minds in Climate Storytelling | The Cooler Podcast

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