What is ESG? Why It Matters and Why You Should Pay Attention
Event Summary
ESG—short for Environmental, Social and Governance—is all the buzz in the business and investment worlds. But what exactly is ESG? And why should you care about it? While business firms are increasingly taking steps to consider how their actions both are affected by and impact these factors, the use of ESG has also elicited strong pushback from investors, politicians, and others. This panel event moderated by Dr. Michael Mann will bring together panelists with expertise in ESG from Wharton and industry to explore the ins and outs of ESG, why it has become so important, as well as to explain the controversies.
This event is part of Energy Week at Penn. Check out the rest of the 2023 programming at energyweek.upenn.edu.
Sarah Light
Associate Professor, Legal Studies & Business EthicsSarah Light is an associate professor of legal studies and business ethics at the Wharton School. Her research interests include climate law and policy, environmental law and policy, and private environmental governance.
Lolita K. Jackson
Executive Director of Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Development Capital LLPLolita K. Jackson MBE is the executive director of sustainable cities at Sustainable Development Capital LLP. She previously worked for the NYC Mayor’s Office for fifteen years in a variety of roles, lastly as the Special Advisor for Climate Policy & Programs.
Witold J. Henisz
Vice DeanWitold J. Henisz is the Vice Dean and Faculty Director of the ESG Initiative and Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management in Honor of Russell E. Palmer, former Managing Director at The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania.
Claudine Gartenberg
Assistant Professor of ManagementClaudine Gartenberg is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on corporate purpose and pay inequality, and the implications of both for firm strategy and competitiveness.
Michael Mann
Presidential Distinguished ProfessorMichael E. Mann is the Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, with a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication. He is a faculty fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
