ESG Initiative News Archives

In our ‘hyper-polarized’ political climate, 20% of the S&P 500 is now doing this

A group of police officers and protesters stand in a road; some protestors hold American flags and one holds a red sign that reads "LOCK HIM UP."

(Outlet: MarketWatch) Watchdog and Wharton center release their latest study that tracks companies’ disclosures of political spending. According to the latest study co-authored by that organization, the Center for Political Accountability in Washington, D.C., and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, a growing number of S&P 500 companies have made the effort to earn the highest scores from a watchdog organization that’s focused on transparency in corporate political spending.…Read More

Feeling the pinch of high home insurance rates? It’s not getting better anytime soon

In this aerial view, the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on Oct. 2, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

(Outlet: NPR) Many in Florida are finding homeowners’ insurance unaffordable, and it’s only getting worse. Benjamin Keys, a professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania, says, “What we have is a real changing landscape in insurance markets, a recognition that risks have increased in recent years. Disasters are occurring with more frequency and severity than previously forecast.”…Read More

Explore 10 ESG Courses at Wharton for Spring Semester 2024

Students walking on Locust walk with green foliage on the trees in the background.

Deepen your knowledge, expand your toolkit, and power your impact this spring. Explore ten of the many ESG-related courses available to Penn and Wharton students in the upcoming semester. …Read More

Embracing the Spectrum: Investors of catalytic capital seek outperformance – on impact

(Outlet: ImpactAlpha) Michael Brown, Head of Research at the ESG Initiative, discusses the Impact Finance Research Consortium’s recent report on catalytic capital in impact investing.…Read More

As Storm Damages Mount, States Try to Make It Harder to Sue Insurers

A blurry wet crosswalk with debris from storms.

(Outlet: Wall Street Journal) Climate-driven payouts are pressuring insurers, and some states are looking to keep premiums down. “The pendulum is swinging from being less friendly to insurers to putting them into a position of strength,” said Benjamin Keys, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.…Read More

Do Retail Investors Care About Firms’ ESG-Related Activities? New Paper Investigates

(Outlet: Knowledge at Wharton) Christina Zhu, Assistant Professor of Accounting at Wharton, joins the show to discuss her new paper on how retail investors view firms’ ESG-related activities.…Read More

California’s Latest Climate Disclosure Rules Will Be the Strictest in the Nation

(Outlet: Knowledge at Wharton) Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics Eric Orts explains how California’s new climate disclosure laws differ from the SEC’s proposed rule, and potential legal challenges to come.…Read More

The Ethical Investor: Confirmed – ESG investors care for the environment… as long as it turns a profit

One hundred dollar bills fall from the sky with tall glass skyscrapers receding into the background.

(Outlet: Stockhead) A new research paper co-authored by Wharton accounting professor Christina Zhu found that retail investors care about a stock’s ESG related activities – but only if they don’t adversely affect the value of their investments.…Read More

A.I. Could Soon Need as Much Electricity as an Entire Country

A colorful squiggle sits atop a black background with grids and dotted lines receding behind it.

(Outlet: The New York Times) The electricity needed to run A.I. could boost the world’s carbon emissions, depending on whether the data centers get their power from fossil fuels or renewable resources. New climate disclosure laws may play a role in the future of A.I. electricity consumption.…Read More

In California and Europe, a new dawn for corporate climate disclosure

A plume of smoke being emitted into the air from a power plant, Feb. 16, 2022, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

(Outlet: The Hill) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to finalize a new rule this month to cover required corporate climate disclosures by public-reporting companies. But the bigger news is that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has announced that he will soon sign into law two climate change disclosure bills passed by the state Legislature. Wharton Professor Eric Orts weighs in on these new environmental laws.…Read More