Climate Cohort Fellow Feature: Meet Emma Crow-Willard

The Aspen Climate Cohort, our 10-week climate policy training program co-hosted with the Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program, wrapped up last month. Our fellows are polishing their 6-week policy projects on a variety of climate policy topics. Projects include deploying battery storage and solar at community centers in Marin County, California, and identifying underserved communities of color in need of cooling assistance.

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to another fellow, Emma Crow-Willard. Emma is the Managing Producer at Climate Now, where she oversees video and podcast production of expert-driven climate content.

What do you do when you’re not an Aspen Climate Cohort Fellow? 

I oversee production of in-depth, expert-led climate content at Climate Now and produce videos for the ACLU of Colorado. I also enjoy creative writing and even write feature film scripts that I’m hoping will be produced by a major production studio one day.

What made you apply to join the Aspen Climate Cohort? 

I was looking to better understand where educational media, like what we create at Climate Now, could fit into the policy process. My goal is to make sure policymakers are better informed to make the impactful decisions that they do.

How has this program changed the way you look at policy?

I’ve realized that we need more informed people working in policy. These decisions have to get made very quickly, and it’s simply not possible to do all the necessary research yourself, or with staff that don’t have any background in the subject matter. Policymakers must be surrounded by very informed advisors.

What has excited you most about your experience so far?

I feel empowered to make policy impact now that I’m equipped with a clear understanding of the policy process, from researching a problem, to comparing different policy solutions, to developing an advocacy plan that pushes new policies into practice. I look forward to providing real policymakers the tools to make an impact in the climate space.

What’s your climate policy “bumper sticker” – something everyone should know? 

If you don’t try to fix it, somebody else might do it the wrong way.

To learn more about Emma, read her full bio here.