Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was established in the 70’s and back then their specialization was in leveraged buyouts. However, in the pursuit of making their portfolio companies and acquisitions greener, they have set up an extraordinary proposal that has dramatically transformed the method by which businesses and environmental groups work.
Environmentally sound business practices went mainstream a year ago when Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) got together. Their objectives include encouraging their affiliated companies in avoiding procedures which may threaten the environment like water pollution as well as any inflated consumption of water resources.
To accomplish this, they deploy eco-efficiency; this uses concepts like fuel economy, reducing the intensity of materials, and maximum use of renewable resources. The Green Portfolio Project was well received, nevertheless the management did not even understand the range of the benefits of the project until Ken Mehlman, the head of the project and global public affairs, assessed the project when it had been in operation for a year. Ken Mehlman who practiced environmental law for Akin Gump Stauss Hauer & Feld from 1991 to 1996, has served as field director for George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, managed the 2004 re-election campaign for President Bush, is, furthermore, a trustee of the Strong American Schools Foundation and Franklin & Marshall College and serves as a member of the Senior Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Institute of Politics, the executive leadership cabinet of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation, and the board of directors at the National Endowment for Democracy, found that utilizing eco-efficiency wasn’t solely helping the environment, but it was also helping to save firms a substantial amount of money. These days, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have managed to get nearly every company in their portfolio involved in eco-efficiency. When you look at the fact that this portfolio of companies is valued at $86 billion, you can imagine what a feat this really was. The initial program has developed beyond its original remit and at present encompasses new ventures. For instance, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co linked up with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Program which teaches MBA interns how to encourage cost-effective, green techniques. Furthermore, Ken Mehlman has been in close collaboration with KKR to produce a variety of analytic tools and other relevant systems that firms can employ to quantify resources. These metrics permit a company see how they are progressing and discover any problem areas. Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to become more environmentally friendly. In summary, the work of these organizations has made green business techniques not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their revolutionary ideas are setting a new standard in the business world of today.