Environmentally Aware Business – Ken Mehlman of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. And the Environmental Defense Fund
When Henry Kravis and George Roberts founded Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in the mid-seventies with some help from the First Chicago Corporation, their main business was in highly leveraged transactions. However, they have assembled a unique proposal which focuses not alone on how lucrative a corporation is, but additionally on how ecologically friendly each of their companies are. Green business practice went mainstream a year ago when KKR’s Henry Kravis and the New York based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joined forces. Key environmental matters like air pollution and steep water consumption rank high on their agenda. Eco-efficiency (the term was originally propagated by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD) provides the framework for their mission, applying techniques like waste reduction, fuel economy and reducing the waste of resources. Even though the program was an enormous success, managment just did not recognize how significant the effects were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the Green Portfolio Project and global public affairs, finished the review of the first 12 months.
Only at that point did Ken notice that applying eco-efficiency wasn’t just helping the environment, but additionally it was helping to save firms a significant sum of money, making the program virtually an immediate success. To date, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co and Ken Mehlman have managed to get almost every associated business organization involved in eco-efficiency techniques. Yet, when you consider that the group has a current portfolio worth $86,000,000,000, you can be certain that this was not a simple achievement. Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co with the Environmental Defense Fund with the help of Ken Mehlman are developing the initial program. The Climate Corps Program administrated by the Environmental Defense Fund is an example of this, it promotes eco-efficient business techniques to MBA interns.
What is more, Ken Mehlman has worked closely with KKR to produce a series of products that business organizations can employ to evaluate and manage a number of resources. With this information available, businesses may without very much effort measure their day to day operations and find out how they can improve while at the same time seeing their progress. Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund really are trailblazers in the business world. In summary, these systems have made green business practice not only viable, but commercially desirable, and their radical ideas are setting a new standard in the business world of today.
