The Changing Face of Environmentally Aware Business

Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) was launched by Henry Kravis and his business partner George Roberts in the 1970’s with help from the First Chicago Corporation. But they have set up an exceptional project which focuses not simply on optimized profit margins, but likewise on the ecological impact of the companies they invest in. When Henry Kravis from KKR and the non-profit environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged a year ago green issues went mainstream. Their objectives include encouraging firms to avoid environmental menaces like toxic waste as well as any flagrant consumption of water resources.

Eco-efficiency (a phrase first used by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) has shaped the framework for their mission, by applying policies such as using clean energy, improving fuel economy through vehicle fleet maintenance and reducing the waste of resources. Successful though it was the companies who were participating did not even understand the scope of the program’s benefits until the executive in charge of the project, Ken Mehlman, assessed the project after its first year in operation.

Eclipsing all expectations, Ken discovered that eco-efficiency not only served in preserving the environment, but also increased the profitability of all their business concerns too. Nearly all of the commercial organizations owned by Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman today practice eco-efficiency. When you look at the fact that this portfolio of companies is worth $86 billion, you may be certain this was no easy achievement. The initial program now encompasses new and innovative enterprises. The Climate Corps Program founded by the Environmental Defense Fund is a great example of this, it campaigns for eco-efficient techniques to students taking a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Recently, Ken Mehlman has been in close collaboration with KKR to create analytic tools which companies can use to evaluate and manage a number of resources. This type of information is critical as any business can assess each of their day-to-day activities and identify exactly how they can improve while at the same time seeing their progress. Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund truly are trailblazers when it comes environmentally sound business practices. Their developments have set a high standard for business organizations in every industry and demonstrated that making profits need not entail the hefty price of negatively impacting our planet.

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