The ESG Initiative hosts engagement opportunities for the Wharton community and beyond, from executive speaker series to research seminars to annual conferences. In addition, we are pleased to share ESG-related events led by other groups at Penn and Wharton. Details on event hosts and sponsors can be found on each event page. Check back regularly as events will be added throughout the year.
Upcoming Events
ESG in Business Fireside Chat with Vice Dean Witold Henisz*
JMHH 340
Energy & Project Finance Modeling Training*
Huntsman Hall + Zoom option
Zicklin Center Workshop in Normative Business Ethics #3
Jon M. Huntsman Hall 641 (6th Floor)
Wharton - Weitzman Future of Cities Conference*
The Study
Philadelphia
*This is a student-led event and is not hosted by the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School.
Previous Event Highlights
Keeping up with ESG: New Research in Real Estate and Finance
In a recent webinar hosted by Wharton Lifelong Learning, Wharton Climate Center affiliated faculty member Ben Keys shared his work on skyrocketing insurance premiums for climate-exposed homeowners, and Professor Christina Zhu presented findings that show retail investors using ESG news to make portfolio allocation decisions. The conversation was moderated by Arthur van Benthem, faculty co-director of the Wharton Climate Center.
2023-2024 Workshop Series on AI and Climate Change
Climate change and artificial intelligence are two of the most consequential developments confronting humanity’s future. Yet the connections between them are only starting to be understood. The AI and Climate Change workshop series features leading experts whose scholarship explores, in different ways, how AI may help enhance solutions to climate change—as well as how AI itself could be made more sustainable and energy efficient. The AI and Climate Change workshop series is organized by the Penn Program on Regulation and is co-sponsored by Penn’s Environmental Innovations Initiative, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, the Center for Technology, Information & Competition, the Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, and the Wharton Climate Center.
2023 Wharton Climate Prof
Inspired by Iron Chef and Wharton’s own Iron Prof events, this special event hosted by the Wharton Climate Center took place during Penn’s Climate Week (September 18 – 22, 2023) to showcase the climate-related research of Wharton faculty. A packed room of Penn students heard from nine Wharton scholars who each presented their cutting-edge research on climate and business in five minutes or less.
2023 Migration and Organizations Conference
On May 24-25, 2023 the Migration and Organizations Conference convened global scholars working at this intersection in New York City. This welcoming group of scholars open to all disciplinary and methodological approaches met to advance rigorous research and strengthen their community. This event was hosted by the Political Risk and Identity Lab at the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School and the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at the Columbia Business School.
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.