Americanics

When Henry Kravis and George Roberts founded Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in the seventies with the support of the First Chicago Corporation, their main business was in “bootstrap” buyouts. But they have assembled a remarkable green proposal that concentrates not just on maximum ROI, but in addition on how environmentally aware each of the corporate entities in their portfolio currently are.

Environmentally sound business practices became a hot topic in 2008 when KKR’s Henry Kravis and the the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces. Their goals include encouraging their affiliated businesses to fight against environmental menaces e.g. hazardous chemical use and inordinate water consumption. Eco-efficiency (a phrase first popularized by the WBCSD) defines the framework for their mission, by utilizing policies such as reducing the intensity of materials, reducing the waste of resources and maximum use of renewable resources. Even though the program was a tremendous success, staff simply did not recognize how extensive the results were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the Green Portfolio Project and global public affairs, finished the first annual review.

Only then did Ken observe that applying eco-efficiency was not just lessening impact on the planet, but it was also helping to save firms a significant sum of money. Just about all of the businesses associated with Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman now take part in the Green Portfolio Project. And, with a current business portfolio worth $86,000,000,000, you may be certain this was no easy see what an enormous achievement this is.

Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co with the Environmental Defense Fund along with Ken Mehlman are further expanding the Green Portfolio project. For instance, KKR linked up with the EDF’s Climate Corps Program a venture that teaches interns studying for a Master’s degree in Business Administration how to introduce cost effective, ecologically friendly principles.

KKR and Ken Mehlman have made the effort to create a variety of metrics that administer resources. With this information available, any type of business may without much effort measure their day to day procedures and ascertain where any problems may be solved while simultaneously letting staff to discover how ecologically friendly they are.

The business community has been transformed forever by the work of Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund. In conclusion, these systems have made green business practice not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their novel ideas are setting a new standard in the competitive business world of today.