Going Green: with Henry Kravis of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. Leading the Way
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was set up in the 70’s and in the beginning the firm’s specialization was in highly leveraged transactions. Moving on, in an uncommon attempt to make the companies they buy more environmentally aware and more profitable to boot, KKR have set up an unusual proposal that has dramatically transformed the way businesses and environmental agencies work.
When Henry Kravis from KKR and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces last year green matters in the business community became a hot topic. Significant environmental matters like water pollution and inflated water consumption are high on their agenda. Eco-efficiency (the phrase was first introduced by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD) is the technique leveraged to achieve these aims, by applying ecologically sound policies such as reducing the intensity of materials, optimizing data centers for efficiency and improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance. Regardless of the fact that the program was an enormous success, no-one recognized how extensive the results were until Ken Mehlman, the man responsible for the program, carried out the review of the first 12 months.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Ken discovered that this program not only increased environmental responsibility, but also increased the profitability of each and every business as well. Up to now, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have nearly each and every firm in their portfolio actively involved in eco-efficiency. If you think about the fact that the group is worth $86,000,000,000, you can see what an accomplishment this actually was.
KKR with the Environmental Defense Fund along with Ken Mehlman are extending the Green Portfolio project. The Climate Corps Program established by the EDF is an example of this, it advances environmentally friendly business principles to interns studying for a Master’s in Business Administration.
Moreover, Ken Mehlman has cooperated closely with KKR to formulate a variety of metrics and other applicable systems which companies can utilize to quantify and oversee resources. These products can assess a company’s ecological impact and discover any problem areas.
Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund are true innovators in the world of green business. Their developments have simplified the procedure for firms in any sector and shown that running a profitable business need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.











