September 18, 2019 This September, the University of Pennsylvania hosted PennApps XX – the 20th iteration of the nation’s very first college hackathon. More than 1,000 students made their way to Penn’s Engineering Campus for the weekend to develop innovative technology-based solutions to real-world problems. This year, the Wharton Risk…Read More
ESG Initiative News
Rewarding Communities that Build for the Future: A Resilience Policy Score
Rewarding Communities that Build for the Future: A Resilience Policy Score August 19, 2019 The costs of weather-related disasters have been growing in recent years. Over the past decade, the United States has spent over $200 billion in off-budget supplemental legislation to fund recovery from disasters such as hurricanes, storms,…Read More
Why You Deed a Strategic Approach to Political Risk
Political risk is not new, but its context today is different and the risks more sustained and pervasive. The complexity of the geopolitical environment (what we call the ‘transformative age’ in geopolitics), challenges to globalization, and shifting “rules of the game” around global economic integration and expansion present significant systemic risks that are challenging for global companies to navigate.…Read More
Incentivizing Local Governments to Manage Disaster Risk More Effectively
August 12, 2019 Brett Lingle Given the decades-long trend in rising disaster costs and the increasing number of high-cost events, policymakers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce the financial impact on taxpayers. This is especially critical as climate change alters the frequency and severity of extreme events and as…Read More
Recently Launched: Wharton Alumni Social Impact Club
The ESG Initiative at the Wharton School News Recently Launched: Wharton Alumni Social Impact Club Alumni—there are more ways than ever to engage in social impact. Learn more about getting involved. Wharton alumni are leaders in business, government, academia, philanthropy, and more. Though their diverse experiences span sectors, social impact…Read More
Does the Coastal Barrier Resources Act Provide a Policy Template to Address Wildfire Risk?
March 21, 2019 Margaret Walls, Matthew Wibbenmeyer, and Carolyn Kousky Climate change is contributing to increasing losses from floods and wildfires in many parts of the United States. These disasters have an important feature in common: their likelihood of occurrence and potential damages vary significantly across the landscape, with some…Read More
Meet 12 Social Impact Leaders Who Will Receive Loan Forgiveness Awards in 2019
The ESG Initiative at the Wharton School News Meet 12 Social Impact Leaders Who Will Receive Loan Forgiveness Awards in 2019 The Wharton Social Impact Initiative is pleased to announce the 2019 recipients of the John M. Bendheim Loan Forgiveness Fund for Public Service. These 12 Bendheim Fellows are examples…Read More
To Make Sure its Utilities Survive Climate Change, California Needs Liability Law Reform
February 25, 2019 Carolyn Kousky When PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection in January, several observers declared the electric utility the first casualty of climate change. But as much as global warming is to blame for PG&E’s financial woes, state policy is equally responsible. California has a legal regime, practically unique…Read More
How Insurance Companies Influence Households’ Flood Insurance Choices
January 28, 2019 Benjamin Collier and Marc Ragin Households face a high-stakes problem in selecting an insurance contract. How much coverage should they buy? What deductible should they choose? The household must weigh premiums paid today against losses from an unlikely – but possibly catastrophic – future event such as…Read More
A New Measure to Assess Companies’ External Engagement
(Outlet: LSE Phelan US Centre) – Could a single tweet destroy your company? Just a few years ago, a question like that might have seemed absurd. But now that possibility is something that executives and investors around the world are increasingly thinking and worrying about. Perhaps the most prominent evidence of this trend arrived at the start of 2018, when BlackRock’s Larry Fink laid out in his annual CEO letter what he believes organisations risk when they don’t get smart on social engagement.…Read More