KKR | KKR's Green Portfolio Program Delivers Solid Financial and Environmental Results for Third Year

KKR's Green Portfolio Program Delivers Solid Financial and Environmental Results for Third Year

Results from 13 companies show $365 million financial impact and 810,000 avoided metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions

Six companies report for the first time, including companies in Asia and Europe

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P (together with its affiliates, "KKR") today announced the latest results from its Green Portfolio Program. Through energy efficiency, waste handling, process improvements and other initiatives, participating private equity portfolio companies cumulatively have avoided approximately $365 million in operating costs, over 810,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, 2.2 million tons of waste, and 300 million liters of water since 2008.

"We launched the Green Portfolio Program with Environmental Defense Fund because we believed environmental innovation would pay off for our portfolio companies and we are pleased to see the program making such progress," said George Roberts, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of KKR. "The expanding global reach of the program speaks volumes about the common understanding that good business and improving the environment are often inextricably linked."

Reporting for the first time are: A.T.U., First Data, Oriental Brewery, Pets at Home, Tarkett and WILD Flavors. The U.S.-based companies already participating in the program are: Accellent, Biomet, Dollar General, HCA, Sealy, SunGard, and US Foods. Due to the fact that Primedia is no longer a KKR portfolio company, it is not reporting into the program. A.T.U., based in Germany, is a new participant in the program.

Three other companies joined the Green Portfolio Program in 2010 and will report results in 2012: Bis Industries Limited, located in Australia; Van Gansewinkel Groep, located in The Netherlands; and Visant Corporation, located in New York.

"At its core, the Green Portfolio Program has always been about partnership, collaboration and creating sustainable value," said Ken Mehlman, Head of Global Public Affairs and a Member of KKR. "While there is always more to do, these results reflect continued momentum that is driving a positive impact on the environment and across our private equity portfolio."

Launched in May 2008 as a partnership between KKR and Environmental Defense Fund, the KKR Green Portfolio Program offers a set of analytic tools and metrics to help companies measure and improve environmental performance, including greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and use of water, forest resources and priority chemicals. These tools help managers cost effectively improve efficiency and reduce waste, which leads to cost savings.

"Today's institutional investors want their dollars to create both financial returns and environmental and social value," said Gwen Ruta, Vice President of Environmental Defense Fund. "KKR's Green Portfolio program is a great model for investors who want to see rigorous and transparent environmental results."

The Green Portfolio Program is part of a broader effort at KKR to create sustainable long-term value by addressing environmental, social and governance ("ESG") issues in its private equity investments. As part of this effort, KKR has added talent to its team of individuals focused on ESG issues. In late 2011, KKR hired an ESG and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, resulting in two full-time employees focused entirely on these issues.

In 2009 KKR became a signatory of the globally recognized voluntary framework of the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment. KKR also has built a network of external partners, including, Business for Social Responsibility, Center for American Progress, and CSR Europe. These organizations regularly help KKR and its portfolio companies understand and address various ESG issues. More information on all of these efforts is included in KKR's first sustainability report, available at http://www.kkrannualreport.com. Details on the Green Portfolio Program results, including what the portfolio companies have done to achieve them, can be found at www.green.kkr.com.

About KKR

Founded in 1976 by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, KKR is a leading global investment firm with $58.7 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2011. With offices around the world, KKR manages assets through a variety of investment funds and accounts covering multiple asset classes. KKR seeks to create value by bringing operational expertise to its portfolio companies and through active oversight and monitoring of its investments. KKR complements its investment expertise and strengthens interactions with investors through its client relationships and capital markets platform. KKR is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KKR). For additional information, please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com.