Henry Kravis of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. , the Environmental Defense Fund and the Growth of Green Business
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was launched in the 70’s and in those days the firm’s specialty was in ‘bootstrap’ buyouts. But in a drive to make their portfolio companies and acquisitions more ecologically friendly and more profitable in the same stride, KKR have set in motion an innovative enterprise that has transformed the way business concerns and environmental activists work in a big way. When Henry Kravis from KKR and the New York based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) got together only a year ago environmental matters in the business community became a hot topic. This coalition wants to tackle fundamental green issues, such as climate change, toxic waste, monumental water consumption, and toxic chemicals.
In order to achieve these goals, they employ eco-efficiency; this involves concepts such as using clean energy, reducing the intensity of materials, and increasing the durability of products. Although the project was an enormous success, no-one realized how important the consequences were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the project and global public affairs, reviewed the numbers for the first year.
Much to everybody’s surprise, Ken discovered that this program not only helped in proctecting the environment, but was increasing the profits from each business organization besides. Just about all of the business concerns connected with Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman nowadays are taking part in the project. Seeing that the portfolio has a net worth of 86,000,000,000 dollars, you can see what a massive feat this really is. These two groups alongside Ken Mehlman have also expanded the initial Green Portfolio project. The Climate Corps Program administered by the Environmental Defense Fund is just one of these, it promotes cost efficient, green procedures to interns studying for an MBA.
Moreover, Ken Mehlman has cooperated closely with Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co to create metrics which a range of business concerns can utilize to evaluate resources. Programs like these let any business organization to assess their progress and identify any underlying issues. Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to go green. These innovations have set a benchmark for organizations in any sector and illustrated that making profits need not entail the hefty price of negatively impacting our planet.
