Informing strategies, models, policies, and regulations for practice and policy through socially-responsible partnerships and programs.
Partnership Opportunities
The ESG Initiative partners with corporate, non-profit, and public organizations
We partner in four ways, focusing on research, curricular, co-curricular, and policy engagement.
Professional Development
The Materiality of ESG Factors Specialization
Using insight and expertise from four esteemed Wharton faculty, Wharton Online’s Materiality of ESG Specialization is designed to provide learners with the fundamentals and history of ESG investing, and a close examination of the set of investment approaches that are informed by environmental, social, and governance factors.
Wharton ESG Programs for Executives
Go beyond the headlines and rhetoric. Gain the clarity and fluency needed to not just understand the impact of ESG factors but to strategically and immediately harness them for your business. These blended online programs pair Wharton’s world-class financial acumen with pioneering ESG research to prepare executives for the most of-the-moment challenges facing modern day business leaders.
Beyond Business
Beyond Business is an ongoing conversation that explores the most complex and pressing issues impacting individuals and organizations across the world. In 2021, Dean Erika James joined esteemed Wharton faculty and industry-leading experts to discuss how firms can actively strive to contribute positively to the environment, address governance discrepancies, and support social causes.
2021 Beyond Business Discussions
October 20, 2021
4:30–5:30 p.m. EDT
Tackling the Climate Crisis
What Can Companies and Policymakers Do To Drive Impact?
How should businesses evaluate their environmental footprint? Learn about the influence of environmental criteria on a company’s energy use, waste, pollution, natural resource conservation, and treatment of animals.
November 16, 2021
4:30–5:30 p.m. EST
Redefining Corporate Governance
Establishing Essentials for the New Business Era
Board governance is one of the most challenging issues for firms to manage, and social injustice, civil unrest, and the global pandemic have only added complications. Hear experts discuss which issues to address and how investors should interpret success.
December 7, 2021
4:30–5:30 p.m. EST
Humanizing ESG
Why Diversity, Wage Inequality, and Workers’ Rights Deserve Our Attention
The COVID crisis has further emphasized the inequalities between different professions, classes, racial groups, and nationalities. Join us as we re-evaluate how the industry can minimize harm and be a positive force in addressing these challenges.