Going Green — with Henry Kravis of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. Setting the Standard
In the beginning, when Henry Kravis and George Roberts launched Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in the mid-seventies with the help of the First Chicago Corporation, their specialization was in highly leveraged transactions. But they have set up a unique venture which focuses not just on how lucrative a company is, but likewise on how ecologically aware each of the firms in their portfolio are. Green business procedures became major discussion topic last year when Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the New York based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) got together. These companies intends to help resolve all important environmental matters, that include toxic chemical use, air pollution, monumental consumption of water resources, and deforestation. To achieve this, they employ eco-efficiency which involves concepts such as reducing the dispersion of toxic chemicals, maximum use of renewable resources, and reducing the intensity of materials. Even though the project was an enormous success, no-one recognized how extensive the results were until Ken Mehlman, the man in charge of the project, finished the review of the first twelve months.
Ken Mehlman observed that utilizing eco-efficiency was not only reducing their ecological impact, but it was also saving companies a remarkable sum of money. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have almost all of their firms involved in the program. If you look at the fact that the group has a net worth of nearly $100,000,000,000 dollars, you can see what an enormous accomplishment this actually is. KKR with the Environmental Defense Fund with the assistance of Ken Mehlman are further extending the Green Portfolio project. The Climate Corps Program administered by the Environmental Defense Fund is an example of this, it advances eco-efficient business principles to MBA interns. Furthermore, Ken Mehlman has been in close collaboration with KKR to develop products that companies can utilize to quantify assorted resources. These metrics can track an organization’s ecological impact and identify any areas which may need some work.
Today’s business community has been altered forever by the ground-breaking efforts of these individuals. In conclusion, the work of these organizations has made ecologically friendly business techniques not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their radical ideas are setting a new standard in the business world of today.