The Landing Stage

Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was launched by Henry Kravis and his business partner George Roberts in the mid seventies with some support from the First Chicago Corporation. But pushing further, in the pursuit of making their acquisitions have less of a negative ecological impact, KKR have set up a remarkable proposal that has completely transformed the way businesses and environmental agencies function.

Green business practice went mainstream in 2008 when Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged. Their goals include encouraging firms to oppose environmental threats e.g. toxic waste and any immeasurable consumption of water resources. In order to implement these goals, they deploy a methodology called eco-efficiency which uses concepts such as improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance, reducing the intensity of materials, and reducing the waste of resources. Even though the project was an enormous success, people simply didn’t recognize how incredible the results were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the project and global public affairs, finished the review of the first 12 months. Topping everybody’s expectations, Ken realized that this program not only served in preserving the environment, but also increased the profitability of each business besides. Nearly all of the commercial concerns affiliated to KKR and Ken Mehlman nowadays practice eco-efficiency. Considering that this portfolio of companies is valued at 86 billion dollars, you can imagine what an accomplishment this actually is. Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co with the Environmental Defense Fund with the assistance of Ken Mehlman are further expanding the original Green Portfolio project. The Climate Corps Program founded by the EDF is a great illustration of this, it campaigns for eco-efficient business principles to students studying for an MBA.

What is more, Ken Mehlman has been working closely with KKR to develop metrics and analytic tools that business organizations can utilize to evaluate and manage resources. Systems like these allow any business see how environmentally friendly they are and identify any practices which may need improving.

Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to become more ecologically friendly. Their innovations have set a benchmark for businesses in any sector and shown that running a profitable business need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.