Going Green — with Ken Mehlman of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. Demonstrating How to Do it
Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was set up by Henry Kravis and his business partner George Roberts in the seventies with the help of the First Chicago Corporation. Pushing further, in a drive to make their acquisitions have less environmental impact, KKR have set up an exceptional venture that has fundamentally transformed the method by which businesses and environmental agencies operate. When Henry Kravis from KKR and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces a year ago environmental issues in the business world became major topic. These companies wants to oppose big green matters, including hazardous emissions, water pollution, egregious consumption of water resources, and global warming. Eco-efficiency (the phrase was first pitched by the WBCSD) is the method employed to achieve these targets, by applying techniques like maximum use of renewable resources, reducing the intensity of materials and improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance. Regardless of the fact that the program was a colossal success, no-one recognized how important the results really were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the Green Portfolio Project and global public affairs, carried out the first annual review. Much to everybody’s surprise, Ken discovered that this program not only assisted in proctecting the environment, but was also increasing the profits from all their businesses besides. Nearly all of the companies affiliated to Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman at present actively take part in the Green Portfolio Project. Considering that the total portfolio is valued at virtually $100,000,000,000 dollars, you can be sure this was no easy accomplishment.
The original program has developed far beyond its primary remit and today includes new opportunities. For example, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co got together with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Program which instructs students studying for a Master’s degree in Business Administration how to introduce financially shrewd, ecologically friendly techniques. Moreover, Ken Mehlman has been collaborating closely with Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co to formulate metrics that business organizations can utilize to evaluate and oversee resources. With this information available, any business may easily measure each of their everyday procedures and ascertain exactly how they can solve any problems while at the same time letting staff to view how far they have moved on.
Today’s business community has been changed permanently by the pioneering work of these people. So, to summarize, these systems have made ecologically friendly business techniques not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their revolutionary ideas are setting a new standard in today’s business world.
