When Henry Kravis and his partner George Roberts set up Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co (KKR) in 1976 with the assistance of the First Chicago Corporation, the firm’s main business was in highly leveraged transactions. Recently they have set up a unique enterprise that concentrates not merely on optimized ROI, but additionally on the environmental impact of the companies they control. When Henry Kravis from KKR and the non-profit environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) merged only a year ago green issues suddenly turned into a mainstream concern. The coalition was forged to help resolve some fundamental matters damaging the ecology of the earth, that include depletion of the ozone layer, hazardous waste, exaggerated water consumption, and air pollution.

Eco-efficiency (the term was first submitted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) comprises their mission’s framework, through applying green techniques like fuel economy, recycling programs and waste reduction. Although the program was an enormous success, staff simply didn’t recognize how far reaching the results were until Ken Mehlman, the head of the program and global public affairs, analyzed the first year’s profits. Ken Mehlman who graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1988, has served as Chief of Staff for Texas 12th Congressional District Representative Kay Granger, was the appointed Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007, is, furthermore, a trustee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Strong American Schools Foundation and serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Climate Change Task Force, the executive leadership cabinet of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation, and the Senior Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Institute of Politics, learned that using eco-efficiency wasn’t only preserving the local environment, but it was also saving a diverse range of companies a considerable sum of money, and so the Green Portfolio project became almost an immediate success. These days, KKR and Ken Mehlman have nearly every company in their portfolio engaged in eco-efficiency. All The Same, when you consider that the group has a 2009 portfolio worth 86 billion dollars, you can be certain this was not a simple see what an enormous feat this is. The initial program has evolved beyond its original remit and today includes new and innovative enterprises. The Climate Corps Program set up by the Environmental Defense Fund is an example of this, it promotes cost-efficient, green practices to students studying for a Master’s degree in Business Administration. KKR and Ken Mehlman have been creating analytical tools which manage various resources. These systems can track a company’s environmental impact and identify any underlying problems. Henry Kravis, the KKR, and the Environmental Defense Fund are pioneers when it comes to campaigning for green business techniques. Their radical ideas have set a benchmark for companies in any industry and established that making profits need not entail the hefty price of damaging the environment.