How Ken Mehlman of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. Works alongside the Environmental Defense Fund
February 28th, 2010Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was set up in the mid-seventies and to begin with their specialty was in leveraged buyouts. But they have assembled a novel green proposal which concentrates not merely on ramping up ROI, but also on the environmental impact of the companies they purchase. Green business practices went mainstream in 2008 when Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the non-profit environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged. Big environmental matters like air pollution and intemperate consumption of water resources rank high on their agenda. Eco-efficiency (a term first introduced by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) represents their mission’s framework, employing ecologically sound policies such as reducing the intensity of materials, waste reduction and using clean energy. Regardless of the fact that the project was an enormous success, people just didn’t recognize how important the consequences were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the project and global public affairs, examined the numbers for the first 12 months. Only at that point did Ken learn that the Green Portfolio Project wasn’t solely helping to maintain the environment, but it was also helping to save business concerns a great deal of money. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have nearly every associated organization involved in the program. Still, when you consider that the group has a 2009 business portfolio valued at eighty six billion USD, you may be sure this was not a simple feat. KKR with the EDF with the help of Ken Mehlman are developing the initial program. To illustrate, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co got together with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Program which teaches interns taking an MBA how to introduce cost-efficient, green practices. KKR and Ken Mehlman have been creating metrics and other related systems that will be able to administer resources. This type of information is important as companies can assess their everyday activities and ascertain where any problems can be solved while at the same time permitting them to discover their environmental impact.
Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to become more ecologically friendly. These fresh developments have simplified the procedure for firms in every industry and established that making profits need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.