Wharton Executive Education and the Principles for Responsible Investment’s PRI Academy have unveiled a new executive education programme: the Wharton/PRI Executive Certificate: Impact, Value and the Materiality of Sustainability. This initiative is designed for corporate leaders, senior investment professionals, strategists, and consultants, focusing on responsible investing.
Anthony Roberts, Director of PRI Academy, stated that the programme arrives at a time when global markets are experiencing increasing complexity due to regulatory shifts, technological disruptions, climate-related risks, and geopolitical tensions. The course aims to provide investors with frameworks and tools for informed decision-making.
Roberts commented, “This course underpins how fiduciary responsibility and responsible investing go hand in hand. As a central platform for executive learning, the PRI Academy is proud to partner with Wharton Executive Education to bring this offering to a global audience.”
Scheduled to commence in February 2026, the programme will gather leaders from the investment and corporate sectors to delve into issues such as the evolving nature of responsible investment, the materiality of sustainability factors, and engaging with these issues to preserve and create long-term value. It is grounded in fiduciary duty and evidence-based practice, aiding leaders in identifying and managing financially material risks and opportunities within a complex landscape.
The programme will cover key areas such as climate risk governance, competitive sustainability strategies, geopolitical scenario planning, and data analytics. It comprises nine modules, including Responsible Investment: Evolution, Implementation and Future Perspectives; Purpose and Financial Performance; Governance of Socio-Political; Climate Transition; Strategy, Environmental Sustainability and Geostrategy; Carbon Pricing and Climate Risk; Measuring Value and Impact; and Stakeholder and Shareholder Activism.
Professor Witold Henisz, Vice Dean and Faculty Director of the Impact, Value and Sustainable Business Initiative at The Wharton School, remarked, “Responsible investment is a professional discipline that empowers investors with the insights and frameworks needed to lead in a complex financial landscape. Our goal is to prepare leaders to integrate sustainability and governance into strategy, valuation, and decision-making. This partnership with PRI reflects our shared belief that long-term value creation depends on understanding and managing systemic risks.”
