KKR – Jacqueline Wittich – 2024

SummaryJackie proposed a sector-based nature & biodiversity screening mechanism to identify material nature-related risks during the due diligence process and support engagement with portfolio companies on material nature and biodiversity topics.GoalsKohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, a leading global investment firm with over $500 billion in assets under management, engaged Climate Corps Fellow Jackie Wittich to help propose a set of frameworks, tools, and resources to support KKR’s current understanding of nature and biodiversity considerations throughout the investment process.SolutionsJackie leveraged sources such as the WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter, ENCORE datasets, and the Science Based Targets Network to develop a data-driven screening mechanism for sectors identified as having a high impact or dependency on nature. This work resulted in the following proposed solutions:

– Proposing potential biodiversity roadmaps to support engagement efforts among portfolio companies on nature topics and to identify best practices on addressing nature-related challenges

– Outlining a hierarchy of suggested actions for risk mitigation based on an investment’s sector, location of operations, and material nature issues

– Benchmarking assessment on publicly disclosed nature & biodiversity materials to better understand the current practicesPotential ImpactJackie’s work will help further inform KKR’s understanding of addressing nature-related risks across their portfolio and during pre-investment and post-investment processes.