Q&A KEVIN JONES
Kevin Jones
President & CEO
BLOOM
Kevin Jones tells Sustainable Business Magazine about how BLOOM is achieving sustainable outcomes in Ontario and beyond.
Can you begin by explaining what need you address at BLOOM? At BLOOM, we address the need for a “connecting bridge” in the market - between demand and supply, between risk and opportunity, and between problems and solutions. We recognize that resource management issues and opportunities are often complex and inter-connected, requiring collaborative effort. We also find that sectors are fragmented, with many organizations working independently, leading to inefficiency or duplication of effort. We have noticed that successful market adoption of sustainable practices and technologies happens when different organizations are able to work together on an aligned goal, while at the same time achieving their own unique objectives. As a trusted 3rd party, BLOOM brings together organizations, identifies opportunities and guides implementation of solutions that result in measurable and tangible outcomes. Why is it so difficult for organizations to enact real change? Well, the short answer is that real change requires time and patience. It requires organizations to step back and take a holistic view of their business, adopting a deliberate, strategic approach to managing it. 14 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
It also requires organizations to get beyond symptoms and reduce issues to their root causes, considering entire systems rather than just individual parts. This is difficult to do as organizations are busy with the day-to-day and are continuously under pressure “to do more with less”. Ultimately, real change depends on an organization’s ability to honestly assess where they are, and establish a clear vision of where they would like to go. How can the BLOOM Impact Quantification (BLOOM IQ™) help organizations? BLOOM IQ™ was created to provide organizations with the knowledge and confidence to make better decisions. It allows organizations to “cut through the noise” by focusing on the key metrics and performance indicators that matter most to them and to their stakeholders. The key output of BLOOM IQ™ is quantifiable data on the “net” economic, environmental and social impacts. With this information in hand, decision makers are better equipped to balance the inherent trade-offs. Our work with Waterfront Toronto is a good example of the value of a BLOOM IQ™.