KKR Releases 2021 Sustainability Report

New report highlights progress in scaling sustainability-focused initiatives and outlines Global Ambitions for ESG performance

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR, a leading global investment firm, today released KKR’s 11th annual Sustainability Report. The report, titled Scaling Up, outlines how KKR has been scaling efforts to manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues across its investment portfolio and global operations. The report represents a significant expansion of KKR’s previous ESG-focused disclosures, featuring more detailed and robust reporting on progress and sustainability-related investments and initiatives. Highlights of recent progress include:

• Committing more than $25 billion of equity to climate and environmental sustainability investments since 2010.
• More than 45,000 non-management employees across more than 25 portfolio companies awarded billions of dollars in equity through KKR’s employee ownership program since 2011.
• Further scaling ESG capabilities in 2021 by tripling the firm’s dedicated team of Sustainable Investing subject-matter experts and forming the Sustainability Expert Advisory Council, a six-member advisory council, to provide external insights on sustainability topics and advise KKR on ESG strategy and initiatives.
• Developing a proprietary scorecard to assess the ESG characteristics of applicable investments across KKR’s leveraged and private credit portfolios.
• Investing in ERM, the largest global pure-play sustainability consultancy, through its Core Private Equity strategy.
• Supporting local communities by allocating more than $33 million to more than 150 nonprofits through KKR’s COVID-19 Relief Effort since 2020.
• Appointing a new Chief Diversity Officer and Head of Talent and hiring more than 550 new employees in 2021, a record number, over 50% of whom are diverse.

The report outlines KKR’s plans to continue these efforts through a formal set of Global Ambitions, which build on over a decade of learnings and work with portfolio companies, with the goal of inspiring strong performance across four focus areas, including Management and Governance, Human Capital, Climate, and Data Responsibility. Each area of the Global Ambitions includes broad objectives that differ by asset class and reflect areas where KKR believes it can help mitigate ESG-related risks and capture value creation opportunities, particularly in its private markets funds. For example, having at least two diverse members on each board and having a strategy for fostering a diverse and engaged workforce are ambitions under Human Capital.

“Today, more than ever, it is critical to consider our responsibility to a wider range of stakeholders in order to continue delivering on behalf of our clients and shareholders,” said Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall, Co-Chief Executive Officers of KKR. “We are proud of the progress we’ve made over the past 14 years and look forward to building on it further through our Global Ambitions.”

Visit www.kkresg.com to download the full 2021 Sustainability Report and access additional information, including the Cautionary Statements therein, about KKR’s sustainability efforts.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.