Initially, when Henry Kravis and George Roberts set up Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in the mid-seventies with the assistance of the First Chicago Corporation, the firm’s focus was in highly leveraged transactions. However, hoping to make the companies they purchase greener, KKR have set up an innovative proposal that has dramatically changed the method by which business concerns and environmental agencies work forever.
When Henry Kravis from KKR and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces last year environmental matters went mainstream. Their corporate mission is to encourage their associated companies to tackle procedures which may harm the environment e.g. toxic chemical use and any irresponsible consumption of water resources.
Eco-efficiency (the phrase was originally advocated by the WBCSD) is the methodology applied to achieve these targets, by using ecologically sound techniques such as reducing the intensity of materials, using clean energy and waste reduction. Effective though it was the businesses who were participating didn’t even understand the totality of the benefits of the program until the head of the project and global public affairs, Ken Mehlman, evaluated the program when it had been up and running for its first year.
Eclipsing all expectations, Ken saw that eco-efficiency not only raised environmental awareness, but was also increasing the profits from all their businesses as well. Up to now, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have managed to get nearly each and every firm in their portfolio participating in eco-efficiency. Seeing that this portfolio of business concerns is worth virtually one hundred billion dollars, you can see what a feat this really was.
KKR with the Environmental Defense Fund in association with Ken Mehlman have also expanded the original project. The Climate Corps Program set up by the EDF is a great example of this, it advances eco-efficient business techniques to MBA interns. KKR and Ken Mehlman have been creating a variety of metrics and other related systems that measure and manipulate resources. Programs like these let staff see how green they are and identify any underlying problems. Henry Kravis, the KKC, and the Environmental Defense Fund have encouraged all sorts of businesses to go green. So, in conclusion, these systems have made ecologically friendly business techniques not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their novel ideas are setting a new standard in the competitive business world of today.