Wharton ESG Executive Certificate for Senior Leaders

Program Experience

Highlights and Key Outcomes

In the Wharton ESG Executive Certificate for Senior Leaders program, you will build upon and expand the foundational knowledge and framework from Wharton ESG Essentials. In particular, you will:

• Gain insight into both public and private environmental governance surrounding climate risk disclosures, green marketing claims, and stress testing for the climate transition
• Learn how to create competitive advantage through a sustainability strategy
• Explore different geopolitical scenarios for the world economy in 2030 and what organizational structures and processes can best help you to develop a geostrategy
• Learn about trends and performance in ESG and impact investing
• Learn what data tools and approaches can improve your ability to identify ESG risks and opportunities in your corporation or portfolio

The Wharton ESG Executive Certificate for Senior Leaders is comprised of one month of introductory content (Wharton ESG Essentials) immediately followed by an additional month of advanced ESG management content. This advanced certificate is designed to quickly catapult corporate leaders to the forefront of ongoing ESG decision making, empowering them to act as informed, prepared catalysts for change amid urgent and complex constraints.

Participants who have successfully completed Wharton ESG Essentials as a standalone program can apply for and enroll in this certificate track within one year of Essentials completion.

Experience and Impact

The Wharton ESG Executive Certificate for Senior Leaders will arm participants with best practices, data, and processes that they can immediately deploy in their organizations. You will build on the knowledge of Wharton ESG Essentials to have a multi-lens perspective of ESG in organizations from the investors, boards, and C-suite executives. You will learn strategies to address ESG risks and opportunities, from climate and socio-political risks to the best internal governance structures, and how to powerfully measure and harness these factors.

The program dives deepest into the skill sets befitting a successful leader who can put ESG at the forefront of value creation. You will learn the art and science of corporate diplomacy, including best practices for engaging with and fostering fruitful relationships with stakeholders, both external and internal. The program will also provide a playbook for overcoming organizational silos in the development and assessment of political risk mitigation strategies.

Additionally, you will analyze scenarios of global warming and their impact on asset values. You will gain perspective on the green technology and innovation sector, analyzing where cost curves are rapidly evolving and could impact your firm. You will investigate the risk factors that make some firms more likely to face shareholder activism and less capable or successful in their response. You will also develop tools and tactics for more sophisticated engagement with activist shareholders, policymakers, and representatives of civil society to unlock value.

Session topics include:

• Strategy, Environmental Sustainability, and Geostrategy
• Carbon Pricing and Climate Risk Strategies
• ESG and Impact Investing
• Stakeholder and Shareholder Activism

Interactive Highlights Include:

• Program Simulation: Work with your team to make decisions focusing on crisis management and stakeholder-engagement situations. Faculty will be providing feedback on this simulation for each team.
• 2030 Scenarios: Consider four distinct potential geopolitical scenarios for 2030 and their implications for investors today. Explore non-traditional datasets that can offer insight into socio-political risks and the efficacy of mitigation strategies, including a contrast between divestment and engagement.
• Hands-On Social Activism: Select a shareholder proposal, review it, and advocate its adoption in your current organization or an organization of your choice. Present your rationale and engage with others and the program faculty on this advocacy exercise.
• Engage Live with Faculty Panelists: Zoom in on climate risk strategies using key sectors such as energy, transportation, and real estate sectors and connect directly for further insight on the latest research and applications in those industries.
• Access to Wharton ESG for Executives Network: Join a growing global group of Wharton ESG-certified leaders and gain access to the latest research by our Wharton ESG initiative faculty members.

Convince Your Supervisor

Here’s a justification letter you can edit and send to your supervisor to help you make the case for attending this Wharton program.

Due to our application review period, applications submitted after 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday for programs beginning the following Monday may not be processed in time to grant admission. Applicants will be contacted by a member of our Client Relations Team to discuss options for future programs and dates.