After just a year, partners Environmental Defense Fund and private investment firm, Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts, have created a win-win relationship that will surely attract both businessmen and environmentalists.

As the newly appointed head of Global Public Affairs at Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts (KKR), Ken Mehlman actively works for KKR and EDF’s Green Portfolio Project. The former chairman of the Republican National Committee’s main aim is to highlight most positive effects of incorporating ecological practices into companies by explaining how these can help businesses earn money.

Ken Mehlman elaborated that KKR has been working with EDF since may of 2008 in trying to come up with a series of metrics and analytic tools that can aid companies in coming up with worthwhile improvements in several environmental areas. Examples of these practice areas are forest resources, greenhouse gas emissions, priority chemicals, water, and waste.

The Green Portfolio Project, under Ken Mehlman, progressed even more as it had a successful run with the United States Foodservice, Sealy and Primedia, following a six-month pilot program. He made it clear that these companies were only the beginning and that the Green Portfolio project will keep moving forward to form more cost saving and ecological advantageous practices in other portfolio businesses like Biomet, HCA, Dollar General, and Accellent.

This year, EDF and KKR are working to expand the project to Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts’ portfolio of United States-based companies.