The Changing Face of Environmentally Aware Business
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was founded by Henry Kravis and his partner George Roberts in the mid 70’s with the help of the First Chicago Corporation. But recently they have assembled a unique green project which focuses not alone on how much money they can produce, but also on the environmental impact of the companies they acquire. Green business processes became more widely adopted last year when KKR’s Henry Kravis and the non-profit environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged. This coalition aims to oppose some fundamental matters affecting the ecology of the earth, for example air pollution, hazardous chemical use, imprudent water consumption, and toxic chemicals. Eco-efficiency (a phrase initially used by the WBCSD) is the formula deployed to achieve these targets, by utilizing policies such as fuel economy, waste reduction and reducing the intensity of materials. Although the project was a tremendous success, people simply didn’t realize how fantastic the results were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the Green Portfolio Project and global public affairs, carried out the first annual review. Much to everybody’s surprise, Ken discovered that this program not only assisted in preserving the environment, but was also increasing the profits from every last business too. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have managed to get almost every associated company actively involved in eco-efficiency. Considering that the total portfolio has a net worth of almost $100,000,000,000 dollars, you can see what a challenge this actually is.
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co with the Environmental Defense Fund in association with Ken Mehlman have also extended the initial Green Portfolio project. The Climate Corps Program established by the EDF is a great example of this, it campaigns for cost-efficient, environmentally friendly procedures to students studying for an MBA.
KKR and Ken Mehlman have taken the time to formulate a series of analytic tools which measure and oversee resources. With this information available, companies can assess their day to day activities and identify precisely how they can improve while at the same time seeing their progress.
Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund are innovators in the world of green business. Their innovations have made going green easier for business organizations in any sector and demonstrated to the world that making profits need not entail the hefty price of negatively impacting our planet.