Henry Kravis of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. And the Environmental Defense Fund: Mavericks in Business and Protecting the Planet
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was founded in the mid seventies and orginally their specialization was in highly leveraged transactions. More recently, aiming to make their portfolio of companies more environmentally friendly and more profitable as well, they have set up a unique green enterprise that has fundamentally transformed the way businesses and environmental activists operate. KKR’s Henry Kravis and the the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) got together in 2008, with the mission of making environmentally aware business practices an accepted concept. Issues like soil contamination and extravagant water consumption feature high on their list of goals.
Eco-efficiency (a phrase initially advertised by the WBCSD) represents the framework for their mission, by using ecologically aware policies like maximum use of renewable resources, using clean energy and reducing the waste of resources. Efficient though it was the firms who were involved didn’t see the totality of the advantages of the program until Ken Mehlman, the head of the project and global public affairs, evaluated the program when it had been functioning for a year.
As if to beat everyone’s expectations, Ken found that this program not only enhanced environmental responsibility, but also increased the profitability of all their business organizations besides. Well-nigh all of the businesses held by KKR and Ken Mehlman nowadays are involved in the project. Still, when you consider that the group has a current business portfolio with a worth of 86,000,000,000 dollars, you may be certain that this was not an easy feat. The Green Portfolio project has evolved far beyond its primary remit and today encompasses new and groundbreaking enterprises. For example, KKR joined the EDF’s Climate Corps Program a venture that teaches MBA interns how to put together and start cost effective, green principles.
KKR and Ken Mehlman have been creating a package of metrics and analytic tools that administer various resources. This type of information is significant as businesses may easily assess their day to day activities and identify precisely how any issues may be resolved while at the same time allowing them to determine how far they have moved on. Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund are true innovators in the world of green business. Their visionary ideas have made going green simpler for firms in any industry and illustrated that making profits need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.
