Wharton Executive Education and the Principles for Responsible Investment’s PRI Academy announced the launch of the Wharton/PRI Executive Certificate: Impact, Value and the Materiality of Sustainability, a new executive education program focused on responsible investing, and targeted towards corporate leaders, senior investment professionals, and strategists and consultants.
According to PRI Academy Director Anthony Roberts, the new program comes “as global markets face increasing complexity, from regulatory shifts and technological disruption to climate-related risks and geopolitical tensions,” with the program aimed at providing investors with frameworks and tools to make informed investment decisions.
Roberts added:
“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.”
According to Wharton and PRI Academy, the new program, beginning in February 2026, will bring together leaders from across the investment and corporate sectors, and will explore issues including the evolving nature of responsible investment, the materiality of sustainability factors, and how to engage with these issues to preserve and create long-term value. The organizations added that the programme is grounded in fiduciary duty and evidence-based practice, to help leaders identify and manage financially material risks and opportunities in a complex landscape.
Key areas of focus for the new program will include climate risk governanceGovernance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. More, competitive sustainability strategies, geopolitical scenario planning, and data analytics. The program will consist on 9 modules, including Responsible Investment: Evolution, Implementation and Future Perspectives; Purpose and Financial Performance; GovernanceGovernance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. More of Socio-Political; Climate Transition; Strategy, EnvironmentalEnvironmental criteria consider how a company performs as a steward of nature. More Sustainability and Geostrategy; Carbon Pricing and Climate Risk; Measuring Value and Impact, and; Stakeholder and Shareholder Activism.
Prof. Witold Henisz, Vice Dean and Faculty Director, Impact, Value and Sustainable Business Initiative at The Wharton School, said:
“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 governanceGovernance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. More 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.”
