Events

The ESG Initiative at the Wharton School
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

Feb
28

Wharton - Weitzman Future of Cities Conference*

February 28 | 08:00 AM - 06:30 PM
The Study
Philadelphia

*This is a student-led event and is not hosted by the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School.

Previous Event Highlights

Graphic that includes professional headshots of Christina Zhu, Arthur van Benthem, and Ben Keys.

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.

Image of a full room of attendees looking forward to a speaker at a podium in business attire. There is a screen that says "AI and Climate Change" with the logos of the host and sponsor organizations.

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.

Image of a packed tiered classroom of students, some with laptops open, watching a speaker present research from the front of the classroom.

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.

Stock image of immigrants sitting at a table smiling during an English lesson

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.

Watch Recap ❯❯

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.

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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.

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Contact Us

The ESG Initiative at the Wharton School