Risk Center Recorded Talks and Virtual Events

Crypto and the Climate Crisis

Monday, April 4, 2022 from 2pm – 3pm.

This event was hosted by the Wharton Risk Center and the Penn Program on Regulation as part of Energy Week at Penn.

The rise in cryptocurrencies, particularly extremely energy-intensive ones like bitcoin, is creating pressing new challenges for staving off the worst impacts of climate change. What can policymakers do to help regulate cryptocurrencies? Watch for a discussion on cryptocurrencies and their far-reaching environmental impacts with Lawrence Baxter, David T. Zhang Professor of the Practice of Law, Duke Law; Faculty Director, Global Financial Markets Center. Moderated by Cary Coglianese, Edward B. Shils Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, Penn Law; Director, Penn Program on Regulation.

Day 2: Managing Philadelphia’s Flood Risk in a Changing Climate.

Friday, February 11, 2022 at 11:00 am

Managing Philadelphia’s Flood Risk in a Changing Climate.

The Wharton Risk Center, with support from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, hosted a two-part workshop on flood risk in the Philadelphia region. Panelists discussed what ways Philadelphia is already vulnerable to flooding, how climate change is exacerbating those vulnerabilities, and what tools, like hazard mitigation planning and insurance, are important for preparing and recovering from flood events. Learn more about this project and see other resources here.

Panelists Include:

  • Carolyn Kousky, Executive Director, Wharton Risk Center
  • Scott Williamson, Senior Vice President, Director of Analytics, Reinsurance Association of America
  • Mari Radford, Community Planning Lead, Mitigation Division, FEMA Region 3
  • Emma Giardina, Hazard Planning Coordinator, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management
  • Moderated by: Amy Verbofsky, Manager of Healthy and Resilient Communities, DVRPC

Day 1: Managing Philadelphia's Flood Risk in Changing Climate

Thursday, February 10th, 2022 at 11:00am.

The Wharton Risk Center, with support from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, hosted a two-part workshop on flood risk in the Philadelphia region. Panelists discussed what ways Philadelphia is already vulnerable to flooding, how climate change is exacerbating those vulnerabilities, and what tools, like hazard mitigation planning and insurance, are important for preparing and recovering from flood events. Learn more about this project and see other resources here.

Panelists include:

  • Abby Sullivan, Environmental Scientist, Philadelphia Water Department
  • Carolyn Mosley, Executive Director, Eastwick United
  • Saleem Chapman, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Philadelphia
  • Clint Andrews, Professor of Urban Planning, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University
  • Moderated by Chris Linn, Manager of the Office of Climate and Environment at DVRPC

Financing and Commercializing Sustainable Technologies: Innovations, Capital, and Incentives

Monday, February 7, 2022  from 5:00 – 6:00 pm

A part of Wharton Climate Week 2022. 

With the urgent need for decarbonization, it is essential to facilitate the speed of innovation and scaling of energy technologies such as renewable energy, energy storage, smart grids, digitalization, and systems integration. Large-scale investment is needed to finance and commercialize these technologies, however, challenging risk-return profiles resulting from emerging technologies’ higher economic and upfront capital costs, and their higher risks, have hampered investment in the sector. This panel of industry experts gave their insights on technologies that should be prioritized, and the major factors that drive or hamper the financing and the uptake of sustainable energy technologies. This event was co-hosted by the Wharton Risk Center and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy as part of Wharton Planet Week 2022.

Panelists:

  • Suzanne Hunt, Policy Director of Generate Capital
  • James Wagstaff, SVP – Global Growth of Wood Mackenzie)
  • Mark Tomasovic, Principal at Invenergy (Energize Ventures)
  • Moderated by Peter Psarras, University of Pennsylvania

Careers Panel: The Future of Business and Climate

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 6:00pm

Climate change has inexorably become a game-changing force in recent years, reshaping various industries and moving towards the center of debates over national and corporate strategies. What climate risks are industries facing today? How are companies adapting and responding to the climate crisis? How can they be part of the solution and lead the way? What are opportunities for young professionals today? What is the next frontier?

Penn students were invited to hear a panel discussion with Wharton alumni who have experience working in energy storage, real estate, infrastructure, transportation, and smart home technology & insurance across countries including U.S., China, and Singapore. This moderated panel was followed by an open Q&A and discussion.

Panelists:

  • Walter Czarnecki, Chief Commercial Officer, Livient
  • Juan Martinez, Senior Director, USAA Real Estate
  • Daniel Pulido, Senior Investment Officer, Global Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department at International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group
  • Moderator: Daniel Turgel, CEO & Founder, MindHome

Mitigating and Insuring Wildfires

Thursday, October 22, 2021 at 1:30 PM

Wildfires in California have caused record-breaking losses that are likely to increase in the future due to the impacts of climate change. More than three times as many acres have burned to date in 2021 compared to the same period in the record-breaking previous year, with drought, extreme heat, and reduced snowpack contributing to the severity of the fires.

This panel focused on the important roles of homeowners, communities, and insurance to curtail damages from future wildfires.

Panelists:

  • Rex Frazier, President, Personal Insurance Federation of California. Rex represents PIFC’s member companies before the California State government and provides advice on legislative, regulatory, litigation, and political matters.
  • Robert A. Reader, Managing Director, Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC. Rob specializes in the placement of property and casualty reinsurance lines, especially wildfire.
  • Michael Wara, Director, Climate and Energy Policy Program, and Senior Research Scholar, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University. Michael assists policymakers engaged in the development of novel climate and energy law and regulation.
  • Roy E. Wright, President & Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Roy leads a team of scientists and risk communicators who deliver strategies to build safer and stronger homes and businesses.
  • Michael Young, Vice President, Model Product Management, Risk Management Solutions (RMS). Michael leads a team that establishes requirements and features for RMS climate models.
  • Moderator: Howard Kunreuther, James G. Dinan Professor Emeritus; Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, University of Pennsylvania

WCNCR Climate Change Conference - Day 1

October 18, 2021

The Wharton Club of the National Capital Region hosted a virtual Climate Change Conference from October 18-21, 2021. The conference was co-hosted by the Wharton Risk Center, ColumbiaDC and several other Wharton Clubs across the nation. The event brought together experts to examine core topics of climate change and open doors for new opportunities and collaboration. Topics focused on climate change mitigation, restoration, and investment opportunities.

Watch the other days’ recordings and learn more about the conference panelists and sessions here.

And learn about the WCNCR and become a member here: www.whartonclubncr.org

Can Finance Solve the Climate and COVID Crises?

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 4:30 PM

Financial regulators, such as the European Central Bank and the Fed in the United States, are actively considering their role in solving global crises, such as climate change and the current pandemic. Likewise, private institutions like banks, investment funds, and others are taking active steps to promote a transition to a low-carbon economy.

Navindu Katugampola, Executive Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Sarah E. Light, Associate Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics at the Wharton School, discussed what these regulators and firms are doing to address these crises, and what more they can do to promote the transition to a low-carbon economy going forward.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited (MSIM Ltd) is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 1981121. Registered Office: 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 4QA.

CHARTING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE FUTURE: THIS MOMENT’S ACCELERATORS AND ROADBLOCKS

Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 4:30 PM

Multiple factors at the moment appear to be accelerating the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States, including the announcement by General Motors of its decision to move away from the internal combustion engine, new policies from the Biden Administration, and continued advances in battery technology. Drawing on four distinctive yet interrelated perspectives, this panel – with speakers from the automotive industry, regulators, battery R&D, and clean technology infrastructure – will explore how best to promote a smooth transition and minimize those roadblocks.

Panelists:

Ann Carlson, General Counsel of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Pasquale (Pat) Romano, President and CEO, ChargePoint
Margaret Mann, Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of Energy
Hossein Hassani, Director of EV Ecosystems, General Motors

Moderators:

Sarah E. Light, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Co-Faculty Lead, Business, Climate, & Environment Lab at the Wharton Risk Center
John Paul MacDuffie, Professor of Management, Director of Program on Vehicle and Mobility Innovation (PVMI)

Co-sponsored by two research centers at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania:

Program on Vehicle and Mobility Innovation (PVMI), Mack Institute on Innovation Management

Business, Climate, and Environment Lab of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center

Carolyn Kousky's FEMA PrepTalk

“Harnessing the Power of Disaster Insurance.”  January 16, 2020.

In her FEMA PrepTalk, Dr. Carolyn Kousky, Executive Director of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, demonstrates the essential role of #insurance in disaster recovery. She explains why not enough people have insurance coverage, and offers suggestions for how the public and private sectors can work together to overcome challenges to increasing insurance coverage across America.

Howard Kunreuther's FEMA PrepTalk

“Human Biases: Why People Underprepare for Disasters.” January 19, 2020.

In his FEMA PrepTalk, Prof. Howard Kunreuther Co-Director of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, discusses the processes and biases in decision-making under uncertainty. He also proposes a behavioral risk audit that couples protective decision-making with economic incentives, enabling individual and collective actions to achieve greater resilience.

Additional Videos