November 29, 2009
Henry Kravis of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. , the Environmental Defense Fund and the Evolution of Environmentally Sound Business
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was set up by Henry Kravis and his partner George Roberts in 1976 with some assistance from the First Chicago Corporation. More recently, however, in the hope of making their acquisitions more ecologically aware, KKR have founded a unique green project that has completely changed the way businesses and environmental activists carry on their day-to-day business.
When Henry Kravis from KKR and the independent Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged in 2008 green issues went mainstream. These companies intends to help resolve primary environmental issues, for instance toxic chemicals, hazardous chemicals, overblown water consumption, and deforestation. To implement these goals, they apply eco-efficiency; this calls for techniques like improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance, maximum use of renewable resources, and increasing the durability of products. Even though the project was an enormous success, no-one recognized how significant the consequences truly were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the program and global public affairs, reviewed the first year’s profits.
Surpassing everybody’s expectations, Ken saw that this program not only lessened ecological impact, but was also increasing the profitability of every company as well. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have managed to get almost every company in their portfolio actively involved in the Green Portfolio Project. And, with a 2009 portfolio worth $86,000,000,000, you can be certain that this wasn’t an easy feat. The initial Green Portfolio project has evolved far beyond its original purpose and these days encompasses new and innovative initiatives. The Climate Corps Program set up by the Environmental Defense Fund is one of these enterprises, it promotes environmentally friendly business principles to interns taking a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
KKR and Ken Mehlman have been creating analytical tools that evaluate and administer resources. These metrics let a company to track their progress and identify any problem areas. Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have made reducing their environmental impact simpler for companies large and small. These developments have made going green less complicated for companies in any sector and shown the world that making profits need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.
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