Sustainable Storytelling 

NBCUniversal uses the reach of our programming and personalities to spotlight pressing environmental issues facing our world. Through TODAY Climate, Al Roker takes a deep dive into climate changes, extremes, strategies, and solutions. The Telemundo Station Group provides informative climate reporting to Spanish-speaking communities across the nation with campaigns like "Nuestro Planeta". Our journalists also share the impact of a warming world on athletes and how sports teams, leagues, and events are doing their part for the planet, including our 2024 Paris Olympics coverage.

NBCUniversal participates annually in the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards – an annual celebration of sustainable production and environmental storytelling in the media.  Past NBCUniversal winners and nominees recognized for their portrayal of environmental issues and climate solutions include: Jurassic World: Dominion, The End is Nye (episode 2 “The Volcano Paradox”), Poker Face (episode 3 “The Stall”) and the MSNBC documentary From Devil’s Breath.

Launched in 2023, the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s GreenerLight Program aims to institutionalize sustainability across the filmmaking process, from script to screen. For Universal Pictures, Focus Features, and DreamWorks Animation titles, the studio has committed to building a sustainability plan that considers ways to embed positive climate actions from the very beginning of the creative process. This includes script development, locations and set needs, production, on-screen behaviors, and marketing and distribution, as well as exploring potential collaborations with environmental organizations.

Industry Wide Efforts 

NBCUniversal supports initiatives that amplify up and coming climate storytellers. We host screenwriters on the Universal Studios Lot for the Writing Climate: Pitchfest for Film and TV, created by The Hollywood Climate Summit, which celebrates the best unproduced climate-themed scripts in film and television by connecting writers with Hollywood executives, producers, agents, and managers in curated one-on-one meetings.

We also participate in several industry consortiums focused on standardizing sustainable practices in the media and entertainment industry including: Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, Albert, Creative BC’s Reel Green, and Sustainable Screens Australia. Our engagement allows us to further collective action in decarbonizing the entertainment industry and using our voice to inspire a more sustainable world, including key stakeholder conversations at COP28.

Employee Engagement

For Earth Month, our sustainability team hosts unique workshops and events to educate our colleagues on our changing climate and inspire them to make sustainable choices at work and in their personal lives. In addition, Telemundo and NBCUniversal Local news stations publish climate-related content on their platforms for audiences around the world to experience.

 GREEN@NBCUniversal is an employee-led affinity group at our largest office locations that meet quarterly to host events and activities that raise awareness and connect employees with their local environment and community.

Waste Reduction Programs

In an effort to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, several of our facilities have implemented efforts such as recycling, composting, promoting a culture of re-use, and eliminating single-use plastics. A combination of these efforts across Universal Studios Hollywood, the Universal Studio Lot, and DreamWorks Animation have resulted in over 75% of waste diverted from landfill. 

Donating excess food can help provide meals to those in need and prevents food waste from producing methane in landfills. To minimize our food waste, the NBCUniversal Sustainable Production Program has donated over 125,000 meals to hunger relief charities. In addition, employee commissaries at the Universal Studio Lot and DreamWorks, along with food establishments within the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and CityWalk, donate excess food regularly.

Reducing the amount of waste generated is the first step in our waste management strategy, including working to replace single-use items with reusable alternatives. Universal Orlando Resorts and Universal Studios Hollywood both increased guest-facing reusables to avoid single-use serving items like plates and utensils, enhancing guest experience and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Water Conservation

We are working to better measure our water usage across key facilities in order to implement better management and locate reduction opportunities.

As we continue to grow our business, we are designing our facilities with conservation in mind. New construction at Universal City Studios in California was designed with low-flow water fixtures estimated to reduce indoor water usage by 46%. In addition, low-impact development strategies were implemented to reduce water runoff from the site.

To conserve freshwater resources, our largest properties at Universal Orlando Resorts, Universal City Studios, and Universal Studios Hollywood utilize recycled water when available for landscape irrigation in conjunction with irrigation control systems to adjust watering schedules based on weather data and ground moisture. 

The Universal Studios Lot uses stormwater treatment devices across the property to filter runoff water before returning to the LA River. The studio is also piloting a project to capture urban runoff and filter it for reuse for onsite irrigation, saving an additional 2 million gallons per year.

Production Set Reuse & Donations

NBCUniversal has managed large-scale set reuse programs for decades, including our asset centers in LA, New York, and Miami with 384,000 square feet of set materials that are repurposed from show to show at no cost to the production. When filming outside those hubs, NBCUniversal film and TV productions donate materials to the local community, including nonprofit organizations, local schools, theaters, and more. 

We also find creative ways to give sets a longer life. The original Jupiter’s Claim set from Jordan Peele’s, Nope, was repurposed to a new attraction on the world-famous Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Clean Energy

At our facilities and on our productions around the world, we are reducing our environmental footprint by sourcing more clean and renewable energy. NBCUniversal has over 7 MW of on-site solar installations completed or under construction, including arrays at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Japan, the Universal Studios Lot in California, and the local NBC and Telemundo station in Washington D.C..

NBCUniversal also works with local utility providers to enroll facilities such as Central St. Giles in London, 30 Rock in NYC, and the Universal Studios Lot in Los Angeles in clean energy programs where available. And we plan to install more on-site solar and subscribe to more green tariffs in the future.

Comcast NBCUniversal’s clean energy strategy also includes long-term direct and virtual power purchase agreements from new renewable energy projects. In 2023, Comcast NBCU used approximately 1.1 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean and renewable energy – approximately 25% of our total enterprise electricity load.

Finally, NBCUniversal has supported community solar through two projects to be constructed outside Chicago. Once online, the projects are anticipated to supply the NBC Chicago and Telemundo Chicago stations with more than 6,000 MWh of renewable energy each year. In addition to supplying power to NBCUniversal and other anchor tenants, the developer has committed to devote 20% of each solar farm for low- and moderate-income residential customers to subscribe to renewable energy at a guaranteed discounted rate, expanding clean energy access in the local community.

Green Buildings & Operations

NBCUniversal has a goal for all new offices, studios, and parks to be LEED Gold certified or better. In support of this goal, we set new sustainable design and construction standards aligned with the LEED Framework, with additional measures to reduce our carbon footprint more directly. These standards will be integrated into construction requirements and apply to major renovations where feasible. To set our operators up for success, we have a goal for all new construction to be all electric or electrification ready.

From Los Angeles to Beijing, our world-class parks and production studios are greener than ever. Universal City Studios – which includes the Universal Studios Lot and 10 Universal City Plaza, a 35-story LEED Gold office building – was designated as a LEED Campus in June 2022, featuring 1.8 MW of onsite solar, electric vehicle charging stations, and water conservation and reuse, among many other sustainability measures. Universal Beijing Resort became the world’s first theme park to achieve LEED Gold certification under the Cities and Communities rating system, with highlights including green space, reclaimed water systems, energy efficiency, onsite solar, and access to public transit with walkways and bike lanes.

We are continuously monitoring our facilities and park operations for energy efficiency opportunities through smart technology like the NBCUniversal Connected Buildings program and partnerships with local utilities. For example, at Volcano Bay, we’ve implemented dynamic temperature set points for the water park pools to automatically adjust heating based on ambient air temperature. This way, we can take advantage of Florida’s warmer climate in the summer, and use less energy to heat our pools, reducing emissions and energy costs associated with heating.

Sustainable Production in Action

Since 2009, NBCUniversal has been working with production teams to integrate sustainable best practices into on-set protocols. Today, over 70 productions across TV, Film, and Sports participate in our NBCU Sustainable Production Program each year. Our global productions are recognized annually for implementing sustainable production practices with the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Green Seal, BAFTA albert certification, and other industry programs.

We have recently implemented Sustainable Production Standards to move the needle on fuel emissions & materials conservation on set by requiring minimum metrics are achieved. Currently, these Standards are required on all directly produced feature films and are being piloted on select television series.

We continue to pilot new and innovative clean technologies on our productions across the globe. Our investment in clean production power reduces emissions associated with fuel use and brings exciting new technologies like solar-powered trailers, large and small batteries, and electric vehicles to our sets. A few recent examples include: the third and final season of La Brea building upon the prior season’s successes and Universal’s Twisters.

Fleet Electrification

Across our fleet, we’re continuing to utilize fuel efficiency technology and deploy hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) in select locations. Recent electric vehicle purchases include electric golf carts for Universal Orlando and the Universal Studios Lot in Los Angeles, as well as an electric forklift for the Telemundo Center in Miami and an electric heavy-duty box truck to make deliveries for Universal Studios Hollywood.

Giving Back Through NBCUniversal's Talent Labs

At NBCUniversal, employee service and volunteering are the underpinning of the company’s social impact initiatives. We provide skills-based volunteering and professional development opportunities for employees that create a positive impact in our communities. We do this through a partnership with NBCUniversal’s Talent Lab – our in-house training and development unit – which offers 3 CSR-specific programs: SERVE, PRO BONO, and INSPIRE.

SERVE

We teach employees the fundamentals of serving on nonprofit boards, and then place them on a nonprofit board that aligns with their interest and expertise.  

PRO BONO

We share our team’s talents with other organizations by matching employees with a nonprofit based on their skillset. Nearly 500 NBCU employees have supported over 100 nonprofits with 5,500 hours of consulting —including legal, human resources, marketing, and communications—with the help of nonprofit partners like Taproot and PYXERA Global. 

INSPIRE 

We pair NBCU leaders with high school students from the BuildOn after-school program in the South Bronx. Through this immersive experience, they participate in a community service project and work on developing inclusive leadership skills.   

Ambassador Program

We launched our NBCUnites Ambassador Program, a one-year service opportunity that allows an employee to make an impact as an emerging leader within their business through coordinating volunteer projects and mentorship and skill building opportunities. 

Creative Council Members

NBCUniversal’s Creative Impact Lab offers employees the chance to serve as an advisor on projects that make marketing videos for other nonprofits. Throughout four months, employees will engage with apprentices from nonprofit creative agencies and help guide them in creative decisions. 

See some of the programs we've created to identify, develop, and empower the brightest talents of tomorrow.

NBCU LAUNCH

NBCU LAUNCH is the umbrella brand that houses the comprehensive inclusion efforts across NBCUniversal’s entertainment television portfolio, in support of the company’s goal to produce authentic and compelling content. These efforts span across writers, directors, unscripted producers, casting, and below-the-line crew members who work in scripted, unscripted and late-night programming. 

NBCU Launch Below-the-Line Traineeship 

The NBCU LAUNCH Below-the-Line Traineeship is a first-of-its-kind initiative that aims to create a pathway for high potential, entry-level crew members who are new to film and television.

The traineeship provides paid hands-on experience and mentorship across various departments, including production office, grip and electric, costume, VFX and props, with the goal of supporting participants’ entry into production employment.  NBCU works with local industry partners to identify qualified candidates who are currently pursuing vocational education and training in their desired craft in preparation for a career in television behind the camera. Partners include Hollywood Cinema Production Resources (Hollywood CPR), Georgia Film Academy, CineCares Workforce Training Program in Chicago and Toronto, and New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) in partnership with various IATSE Locals.

NBCU Launch New Mexico Directors Initiative 

In partnership with the New Mexico Film Office, this Initiative provides valuable shadowing opportunities for film and television directors on NBCUniversal productions in New Mexico, creating a pipeline of in-state talent for future productions.

Unscripted Producers Initiative 

The Unscripted Producers Initiative aims to give access and opportunity to experienced unscripted producers. Positions range from Segment Producer, Talent Producer, Field Producer, Supervising Producer, and Co-EP. 

Unscripted Pitch Accelerator

The NBCU Launch Unscripted Pitch Accelerator provides access for independent producers and content creators to get their projects in front of our unscripted teams for potential development across our various platforms.

Production Assistant Initiative

Working with industry partners, the Production Assistant Initiative aims to provide access and opportunity to experienced PA talent.

NBC TV Writers Program

The NBC TV Writers Program is our program for emerging episodic television writers with the goal of creating the next generation of showrunners and content creators.

TV Directors Program

The NBCU LAUNCH TV Directors Program is NBCU’s scripted directing program created with the goal to increase authentic storytelling by providing opportunities for experienced directors who have distinct points of view that inform their creative vision.

NBCU Academy

NBCU Academy reflects Comcast NBCUniversal’s and NBCU News Group’s commitment to creating a sustainable pipeline of talent. Through our multi-platform initiative — video tutorials, best practices articles, virtual summits and in-person panels — NBCU Academy provides tools and resources for journalists, content creators, media innovators, filmmakers and students. This includes partnerships with 45 academic institutions across the country. NBCU Academy is part of Project UP, Comcast NBCUniversal’s comprehensive initiative to expand internet access, deliver digital skills training, and drive economic mobility. 

Programs within NBCU Academy include, but are not limited to:

Next Level Summit

A transformative all-day learning experience offered at no cost bi-annually, the Next Level Summit provides an opportunity for students to engage with key Comcast NBCUniversal and NBCU News Group leadership and anchors. Participants can attend keynote presentations, breakout panels, and career exposition sessions. The event aims to break through financial and geographical barriers by offering free online training and digital content. 

The Storytellers

Launching in 2024, the Storytellers Program features an inaugural cohort of three associate reporters who will cover people of impact across the U.S. throughout the year, bringing fresh perspectives and untold stories to the forefront. This program, specifically for early-career journalists with 2-3 years of post-graduate experience, serves as an opportunity for young professionals to enter the media industry. 

NBCU Academy and Adobe’s The Edit

The Edit is NBCU Academy and Adobe’s initiative to develop creativity and inspire the next generation of talent in film and TV. Your middle or high school students will build key media and digital literacy skills as they create their own 90-second video news reports about Physical, Mental, or Financial Wellbeing using Adobe Express and a complete package of ready-made tutorials and guides.

NBCU Academy X NFL Experienceship

The NBCU Academy X NFL Experienceship launched fall 2023. Through this partnership, NBCU Academy and NBC Sports join forces with the National Football League's Football Operations team to integrate programming and initiatives for young professionals and academic institutions with limited resources. "Experienceships" focus on providing access and opportunity to game day television, communications and team operations. Students build their professional network by spending time with executives, on-air talent, current and former players and production teams. Off to an incredible start in 2024, the NFL credentialed eight NBCU Academy students for the Pro Bowl (Orlando, FL) and Super Bowl (Las Vegas, NV.) In each city, students worked with our Telemundo Sports teams to learn new skills and create content.

Throughout the rest of this year, NBCU Academy and NBC Sports will partner with the NFL to provide students and young professionals in their pipeline with opportunities to grow careers in sports. This will come to life via signature NFL programs including the HBCU Careers in Football Forum, NBCU Academy X NFL Experienceship, and Game Day Reporter.

NBCU Academy and Big Ten

Deepening NBC's broadcast relationship with the Big Ten Conference, NBCU Academy and NBC Sports are partnering with the Big Ten Conference with the ultimate goal of establishing professional development opportunities on Big Ten campuses both in the classroom and on gameday.

In 2024, this goal is coming to life with NBCU Academy student content creators providing B1G coverage through their reporting and social media content throughout the year. Building upon seven B1G coverage engagements from 2023, efforts will expand to include Men’s and Women's Basketball and non-revenue sports in 2024. Students will engage with executive leaders and gameday production teams to develop professional leadership and technical production skills.

Universal Talent Development & Inclusion

Universal Talent Development & Inclusion is the first-of-its-kind inclusion department for the feature film industry and continues to cultivate programs, initiatives and partnerships dedicated to creating access and opportunities for talent from a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences across the content ecosystem.

Universal Global Writers Residency

The Global Writers Residency is a first-of-its-kind international writers experience launched in 2023. Partnering with legendary global production and development powerhouse, Working Title Films, those selected have the chance to create film content for potential production development consideration in partnership with the team at Working Title Films in the UK. The program cultivates storytellers who organically incorporate global perspectives in their writing. The experience also provides creative guidance from executives, producers and creative consultants, and broadens their network of industry champions to help shape their development.

NO DRAMA

Monkeypaw Productions’ NO DRAMA Powered by the Universal Filmmakers Project and TIFF, challenges filmmakers to produce a short film that explores monsters across genre, cultures, time, and society. NO DRAMA is a global short-film development and production initiative for writer-directors with a passion for telling horror-centered stories. NO DRAMA builds upon the Studio’s and Monkeypaw’s commitment to providing access to breakout filmmakers. NO DRAMA offers resources and support at every step of the filmmakers’ creative journey, with special focus on their individual needs, strengths, and areas for future growth. Up to six filmmakers will be selected to each receive a grant to produce their submitted short scripts. During the one-year, non-exclusive talent experience selected participants will engage in roundtables and workshops to enrich their creative process in producing a short film/proof of concept. Filmmakers will work closely with Monkeypaw throughout the creative process.

Universal Below-the-Line Traineeship

Launched in 2021 on Jordan Peele’s Nope, the Universal Below-the-Line Traineeship provides on and off-the-job training and mentorship in over 20 below-the-line departments across NBCUniversal film projects around the world, including USA, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Australia. With the increasing demand for experienced craft talent throughout the industry, this innovative experience cultivates the next generation of costume designers, prop masters, camera operators, technicians, and the myriad of roles crucial to any production team by collaborating with local partners to source up-and-coming talent.

Universal Composers Initiative

The first-of-its-kind Composers Initiative was created in 2018. In partnership with the Universal Film Music division, the two-year initiative welcomes applicants from all creative and professional backgrounds seeking to enhance their current career efforts. Participants have unparalleled access to the studio and network process, while the UTD&I team increases the awareness of this cohort of talent among NBCUniversal’s vast network of executives, producers and directors, leading to additional industry connections and mentors.