Going Green — with Ken Mehlman of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. Demonstrating How It’s Done
When Henry Kravis and George Roberts launched Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in 1976 with assistance from the First Chicago Corporation, their specialization was in leveraged buyouts. However, aiming to make their acquisitions greener and more profitable to boot, they have launched a remarkable proposal which has fundamentally transformed the way business concerns and environmental activists work together. Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co’s Henry Kravis and the the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged last year, with the mission of making environmentally sound business practices a commonplace idea. Issues like deforestation and irresponsible consumption of water resources are a top priority in their corporate mission statement.
In order to accomplish these goals, they employ eco-efficiency; this makes use of concepts like maximum use of renewable resources, optimizing data centers for efficiency, and improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance. The Green Portfolio Project was initially well received, but the companies involved did not even understand the range of the benefits of the project until Ken Mehlman, the head of the project and global public affairs, assessed the project after a full year in operation.
Ken who practiced environmental law for Akin Gump Stauss Hauer & Feld from 1991 to 1996, has also served as Chief of Staff for Texas 12th Congressional District Representative Kay Granger, was appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council in 2007 and currently serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Climate Change Task Force, and the board of directors at the National Endowment for Democracy, noticed that the program wasn’t merely helping to save the local environment, but it was also saving firms a great deal of money. To date, KKR and Ken Mehlman have well-nigh all of their companies actively involved in eco-efficiency. Yet, with a current portfolio worth eighty-six billion dollars, you can be sure that this was not an easy see what an enormous feat this is. KKR with the Environmental Defense Fund along with Ken Mehlman have also developed the initial Green Portfolio project. To illustrate, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co joined the EDF’s Climate Corps Program a venture that teaches students taking a Master’s degree in Business Administration how to design and initiate cost-efficient, ecologically friendly practices.
KKR and Ken Mehlman have taken the time to formulate a variety of analytic tools and other related systems that measure and oversee resources. With this information available, any business can assess each of their day to day processes and find out precisely how they can solve any problems while at the same time seeing their progress. Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund truly are trailblazers in the world of green business. Their unique concepts have set a high standard for business organizations in any sector and established that running a profitable business need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.
