Net Zero Compare Podcast

Net Zero Compare
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business News
  • Biweekly

Interviews + explainers for the energy transition, without the greenwash. Hear from innovators across climate tech and sustainability (battery chemists, hydrogen founders, marine energy, EV charging, carbon markets), then get buyer’s-guide clarity on tools like carbon accounting, ESG monitoring and supply-chain solutions. Straight facts, business outcomes, real-world adoption. 🌐 netzerocompare.com

  1. 17h ago

    Byron Irwin on Turning Waste Into Community Opportunity: Composting, Recycling, and Rural Sustainability

    🎯 In this episode: Byron Irwin, founder of Compost Network and CEO and President of Eco-Environmental Solutions, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss composting, recycling, and how local waste recovery can support rural communities. The conversation explores how a small collection point for the Cub Scouts grew into a community initiative in Ozark, Arkansas. Compost Network combines recycling, community gardening, and hands-on environmental education, with revenue from recovered materials helping support local youth programs. Byron explains that in-vessel composting processes organic waste inside enclosed equipment, letting operators control mixing, aeration, and environmental conditions. He also discusses why material leaving the equipment needs additional curing before use. The planned community composting operation aims to turn food scraps and locally available woody materials into compost for gardens, landscaping, and fundraising activities. A central theme is the economics of waste recovery. Equipment costs are only part of the investment. Collection, staffing, maintenance, site preparation, and demand for finished compost all influence whether a project is financially practical. Local disposal fees and transportation costs can make the same technology attractive in one location and difficult to justify in another. For businesses considering composting, Byron recommends starting with a waste audit. Understanding material volumes, composition, and collection patterns helps organizations select suitable equipment and avoid purchasing too much or too little capacity. The episode also examines how environmental education can become part of everyday community life. Gardens, pollinator habitats, recreational activities, and supervised manufacturing visits give young people opportunities to connect waste recovery with food production, engineering, and skilled trades. Compost Network is still developing, and its long-term financial, environmental, and educational results remain to be established. For municipalities, businesses, and community organizations, the practical takeaway is to start with a manageable local need, build partnerships, and expand as resources and operating capacity develop. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/byron-irwin-compost-network 📍 Guest: Byron Irwin, Founder of Compost Network and CEO and President of Eco-Environmental Solutions https://www.linkedin.com/in/byron-irwin-26985819a/ 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #Composting #Recycling #WasteManagement #CircularEconomy #CommunityGardens #EnvironmentalEducation #RuralSustainability #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Byron Irwin on Turning Waste Into Community Opportunity: Composting, Recycling, and Rural Sustainability

  2. Oct 23

    Afonso Firmo on Australia's Mandatory Climate Reporting: Lessons for Carbon Accounting, AI, and Decarbonization

    🎯 In this episode: Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder and Director of NetNada, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss Australia’s mandatory climate reporting and what businesses can learn about carbon accounting, AI, and practical decarbonization. The conversation explores how mandatory disclosures are bringing climate information into boardrooms, financial planning, and risk management. Afonso explains why calculating emissions is only one part of the process. Companies also need clear responsibilities, complete records, consistent methodologies, and evidence that supports external assurance. A central theme is data quality. An emissions calculation can be mathematically correct but still exclude relevant locations, reporting periods, or activities. Reliable inventories require businesses to understand their reporting boundaries, check completeness, and explain methodological changes that affect comparisons over time. Scope 3 presents additional challenges. Afonso explains how companies can prioritize their largest emissions sources and work with selected suppliers to improve data. Supplier-specific figures are useful only when their underlying methods and boundaries are reliable. The episode also examines AI’s role in classifying transactions, matching emissions factors, extracting activity data, and identifying unusual results. These applications can reduce manual work, but they require methodological controls and human review. Automation cannot compensate for missing records or unsuitable accounting assumptions. Beyond disclosure, the discussion considers how climate information can support decisions about renewable electricity, battery storage, vehicle fleets, supplier relationships, and operational resilience. Afonso distinguishes emissions reductions from adaptation measures and explains why investments should reflect each company’s finances and operating needs. For sustainability teams, finance leaders, and smaller suppliers, the practical takeaway is to prepare early, build dependable reporting processes, and use climate data to inform business decisions throughout the year. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/afonso-firmo-netnada 📍 Guest: Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder and Director of NetNada https://www.linkedin.com/in/afonsofirmo/ 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #ClimateReporting #CarbonAccounting #Scope3 #AI #Decarbonization #ClimateRisk #Sustainability #NetZero #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Afonso Firmo on Australia's Mandatory Climate Reporting: Lessons for Carbon Accounting, AI, and Decarbonization

  3. Oct 16

    Lisa Drees on Building Trust in Green Hydrogen Supply Chains: Technology Is Only Part of the Answer

    🎯 In this episode: Dr. Lisa Drees, a postdoctoral scientist at Ruhr University Bochum, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss trust in global green hydrogen supply chains and why digital traceability needs reliable data, common standards, and strong governance to deliver value. The conversation explores how companies build trust in an emerging international market where suppliers and buyers may have no shared history. Lisa explains why reputation, demonstrated expertise, certification, contractual protections, and personal relationships remain essential alongside digital tools. A central theme is the difference between protecting information and proving its accuracy. Blockchain can make recorded data harder to alter, but it cannot guarantee that the original inputs were correct. Credible sustainability claims still require verification, agreed definitions, and consistent methods for calculating emissions and documenting hydrogen’s origin. The episode also examines how information systems can support transparency, risk coordination, scenario planning, knowledge sharing, and communication. Different tools address different needs, making a broader approach to trust management more useful than relying on a single technology. Transparency brings its own challenges. Companies need enough information to assess environmental claims while protecting commercially sensitive data. Lisa explains why clear rules on what must be shared, with whom, and for what purpose are essential to participation. Common standards are another priority. International hydrogen markets need compatible certification and data systems so that producing and importing countries can assess sustainability claims consistently. Physical infrastructure and market readiness also shape what digital systems can achieve. Uncertain demand, delayed financing, changing political priorities, and incomplete transport networks can leave technology providers with functioning platforms but limited opportunities to deploy them. For procurement and sustainability teams, the practical takeaway is to assess environmental evidence, supplier experience, and contractual risk together. Trustworthy hydrogen markets depend on technology, infrastructure, regulation, and commercial relationships developing alongside one another. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/lisa-drees-ruhr-university-bochum 📍 Guest: Dr. Lisa Drees, Postdoctoral Scientist at Ruhr University Bochum https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lisa-drees-b740a01b5/en?originalSubdomain=de 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #GreenHydrogen #Hydrogen #SupplyChainSustainability #DigitalTraceability #Certification #CleanEnergy #RiskManagement #Sustainability #NetZero #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Lisa Drees on Building Trust in Green Hydrogen Supply Chains: Technology Is Only Part of the Answer

  4. Oct 9

    Brandon Lapsys on Why Recycling Projects Depend on End Markets, Operational Discipline, and Better Waste Data

    🎯 In this episode: Brandon Lapsys, President of Viably, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss the operational and economic realities behind waste processing and recycling infrastructure, and what companies need to understand beyond landfill-diversion targets. The conversation explores why successful recycling projects begin with the end market for recovered materials. Brandon explains how material composition, quality requirements, buyer availability, and transportation distances determine whether a facility can turn waste into usable commodities and sustain its business model. A major focus is recycling economics. Labor, hauling, contamination, tipping fees, equipment, and commodity prices all influence performance. Brandon explains why these factors must be evaluated together before investing in new processing capacity. The episode also examines construction and demolition waste. Automation can reduce reliance on manual sorting and improve recovery and material purity, but the appropriate level depends on waste volumes, local labor costs, available markets, and the operator’s business model. Source separation can produce cleaner streams, although space constraints and additional handling costs can complicate its use. Food waste presents another challenge. Plastics and packaging contamination can limit processing options and the value of recovered organic material. Brandon explains why collection programs need to reflect what receiving facilities can actually handle. Technology selection, maintenance, and training are also central themes. Equipment needs to accommodate future growth and changing waste composition, while spare parts, technical support, preventive maintenance, and staff training help sustain performance over time. The conversation looks at waste data and AI, including their potential to improve recovery, efficiency, and reporting. Brandon emphasizes focusing on useful metrics, understanding how they are measured, and connecting information to practical operational improvements. For sustainability and ESG teams, a key takeaway is to understand where waste goes after collection, how it is processed, and what happens to the recovered materials. Reliable reporting requires a clear understanding of the physical system behind the figures. Brandon also discusses how tightening landfill capacity and rising transportation costs could encourage further investment in recycling infrastructure across North America, including processing closer to where waste is generated. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/brandon-lapsys-viably 📍 Guest: Brandon Lapsys, President of Viably https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-lapsys/ 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #BrandonLapsys #Viably #WasteManagement #Recycling #CircularEconomy #FoodWaste #ResourceRecovery #RecyclingInfrastructure #ESGReporting #Sustainability #NetZero #netzerocompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Brandon Lapsys on Why Recycling Projects Depend on End Markets, Operational Discipline, and Better Waste Data

  5. Oct 3

    Lisa Wright on Why eVTOL Infrastructure May Matter as Much as the Aircraft

    🎯 In this episode: Lisa Wright, Founder and CEO of Landings, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss the infrastructure challenge behind electric aviation and what will be required to turn eVTOL aircraft from individual technologies into functioning regional transportation networks. The conversation explores why electric aviation depends on much more than aircraft development. Lisa explains how vertiports require suitable land, grid access, charging capacity, battery cooling, permitting, and operational infrastructure. Landings is focusing on smaller, lower-cost sites that can form connected regional networks rather than isolated flagship facilities. A major focus is energy infrastructure. Lisa discusses why securing enough electrical capacity can be more difficult than finding land, particularly in rural and remote areas. Grid connections, solar generation, and battery storage could work together to support aircraft charging, with storage helping manage short periods of high power demand. The episode also looks at shared infrastructure. Landings is exploring sites where charging systems could serve eVTOLs alongside municipal vehicles, commercial fleets, and other electric transport, helping improve site economics before aviation traffic reaches scale. Lisa also discusses the wider sustainability questions surrounding electric aviation. The overall impact depends not only on eliminating direct fuel combustion, but also on electricity sources, construction materials, batteries, infrastructure utilization, and the type of journey being replaced. Landings is also examining modular construction and ways to reduce reliance on concrete. The conversation explores early use cases including medical transport, emergency response, logistics, and regional connectivity, particularly in areas where long ground journeys create operational challenges. Community acceptance, permitting, noise, and local partnerships are also important factors in determining where networks can develop. A key takeaway is that the future of electric aviation will depend on connected networks rather than individual aircraft or vertiports. Certification, energy availability, infrastructure, regulation, and public acceptance will all need to progress together for eVTOLs to become a reliable part of regional transportation. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/isa-wright-landings 📍 Guest: Lisa Wright, Founder and CEO of Landings https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-l-wright/ 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #LisaWright #Landings #eVTOL #ElectricAviation #AdvancedAirMobility #Vertiports #EnergyStorage #ElectricMobility #Transportation #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #NetZero #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Lisa Wright on Why eVTOL Infrastructure May Matter as Much as the Aircraft

  6. Sep 24

    Arjun Gupta on Packaging EPR in the US: How AI Is Changing Compliance, Data Management, and Cost Forecasting

    🎯 In this episode: Arjun Gupta, Founder and CEO of MokshEPR, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss how packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is changing compliance, data management, and cost planning for companies selling packaged goods in the United States. The conversation explores why packaging EPR is becoming increasingly complex as more US states introduce their own reporting methodologies, classifications, exemptions, and fee structures. Arjun explains how the same product or packaging component may be treated differently depending on where it is sold, requiring companies to apply different regulatory logic to the same underlying product data. A major focus of the episode is packaging data. Information on material composition, weight, dimensions, packaging components, and sales locations is often distributed across procurement systems, supplier spreadsheets, logistics files, and product databases. Arjun discusses why improving the quality and structure of this data is often the first practical step toward more reliable EPR compliance. The episode also examines how AI can support this process. Arjun explains how MokshEPR uses AI-assisted classification, data cleaning, and pre-filled decisions to reduce repetitive manual work while keeping human review at the center of the workflow. Traceability is particularly important in a regulatory context, as companies still need to understand how classifications and reported figures were produced and retain responsibility for their final submissions. Beyond compliance, the conversation looks at the financial implications of EPR. Small differences in packaging weight, material type, or classification can become significant when multiplied across large product portfolios. Better packaging data can therefore help companies forecast future fees, compare alternative packaging designs, and evaluate the cost implications of material changes before they are implemented. Arjun also discusses how structured packaging data can support wider operational decisions, including right-sizing, logistics efficiency, supplier management, waste reduction, and packaging redesign. The episode highlights why EPR increasingly requires collaboration between sustainability, compliance, procurement, packaging, logistics, sales, and finance teams rather than being managed as an isolated reporting exercise. A key takeaway is that packaging EPR is becoming as much a data and operational challenge as a regulatory one. AI can reduce manual processing, but reliable source data, clear ownership, human judgment, and traceability remain essential for both compliance and longer-term decision-making. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/arjun-gupta-mokshepr 📍 Guest: Arjun Gupta, Founder and CEO of MokshEPR https://www.linkedin.com/in/thearjungupta 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #ArjunGupta #MokshEPR #ExtendedProducerResponsibility #EPR #PackagingEPR #Packaging #CircularEconomy #ArtificialIntelligence #Compliance #Sustainability #NetZero #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Arjun Gupta on Packaging EPR in the US: How AI Is Changing Compliance, Data Management, and Cost Forecasting

  7. Sep 18

    Lubomila Jordanova on Corporate Sustainability: From Carbon Accounting to Business Value

    🎯 In this episode: Lubomila Jordanova, founder of Plan A and co-founder of the Greentech Alliance, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss the practical challenges of corporate decarbonization, Scope 3 emissions, sustainability regulation, and climate technology. The conversation explores why reliable sustainability data remains difficult to collect, particularly across complex supply chains. Lubomila explains how differences in supplier knowledge, reporting methods, and data quality can make Scope 3 measurement especially challenging, and why supplier education is often an essential first step. She also discusses why sustainability needs to become a company-wide responsibility. Procurement, finance, operations, and product teams all influence environmental performance, so sustainability expertise increasingly needs to be integrated into everyday business decisions rather than remaining isolated within a specialist department. Regulation is another key theme. Lubomila examines the balance between stronger corporate accountability and the complexity of reporting requirements, while emphasizing the importance of distinguishing mandatory compliance from sustainability initiatives that may also create operational or commercial value. The episode also looks at climate technology and what companies should consider when selecting sustainability software. Lubomila highlights demonstrated implementation results, understanding of the customer's operating environment, and the people behind the technology as important factors when evaluating solutions. Finally, the conversation explores the growing consolidation of sustainability technology, as businesses increasingly manage separate tools for carbon accounting, ESG reporting, supply-chain assessments, and other compliance functions. A key takeaway is that sustainability data should support better decisions, not simply satisfy reporting requirements. Companies need to understand what the information means for their operations, suppliers, investments, and long-term strategy. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/lubomila-jordanova-plan-a-greentech-alliance 📍 Guest: Lubomila Jordanova, Founder of Plan A and Co-Founder of the Greentech Alliance https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljordanova/?locale=de 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #LubomilaJordanova #CarbonAccounting #Scope3 #ESGReporting #ClimateTech #SupplyChain #Sustainability #NetZero #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption.🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Lubomila Jordanova on Corporate Sustainability: From Carbon Accounting to Business Value

  8. Sep 11

    Hesham Gamal Gaafar on Digital Twins in Smart Cities and Infrastructure: Where the Real Value Comes From

    🎯 In this episode: Hesham Gamal Gaafar, Manager of Digital Twin, Smart Cities and AEC at Esri Saudi Arabia, joins Net Zero Compare to discuss how digital twins are being applied across cities, infrastructure, construction, and asset management, and what organizations need to consider before investing in the technology. The conversation explores what actually distinguishes a digital twin from a 3D model, BIM environment, or GIS platform. Hesham explains that the defining feature is the connection between a digital representation and its physical counterpart, allowing the digital environment to reflect what is happening in the real world. Depending on the use case, that synchronization may happen in real time, near real time, or at scheduled intervals. The episode also looks at where digital twins can generate the strongest business value. Hesham highlights the operational phase of buildings and infrastructure, where digital twins can support energy optimization, maintenance, asset management, natural resource management, and more informed operational decisions over assets that may remain in use for decades. Sustainability is another key theme. Digital twins can help organizations test design alternatives, reduce reliance on physical prototypes, monitor energy-consuming systems, and improve responses to infrastructure problems such as water leaks. Their environmental value comes from helping teams understand conditions more clearly and make faster, better-informed decisions. Hesham also discusses one of the biggest barriers to successful implementation: data interoperability. Digital twins often depend on BIM, GIS, sensors, IoT systems, imagery, operational databases, and asset management platforms working together. Without clear data standards, governance, ownership, and maintenance processes, organizations can end up with fragmented systems and unreliable information. The conversation also explores the growing role of AI in digital twins, including predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, traffic optimization, scenario analysis, and infrastructure planning. However, Hesham emphasizes that these capabilities are only as useful as the data supporting them. Strong data governance and interoperability therefore remain essential foundations for effective AI adoption. A key takeaway is that organizations should start with the problem they are trying to solve rather than the technology they want to deploy. Defining business requirements, data needs, ownership, and standards first can help avoid unnecessary complexity and ensure that digital twins and AI deliver practical value rather than simply following technology trends. 🔗 Read the full article: https://netzerocompare.com/podcasts/net-zero-compare-podcast/hesham-gamal-gaafar-digital-twin 📍 Guest: Hesham Gamal Gaafar, Manager of Digital Twin, Smart Cities and AEC at Esri Saudi Arabia https://www.linkedin.com/in/hggaafar/?locale=ar 🎙 Interview by: Karol Kaczmarek, Co-Founder of Net Zero Compare https://www.linkedin.com/in/karol-kaczmarek-39a29651/ #HeshamGamalGaafar #DigitalTwins #SmartCities #BIM #GIS #ArtificialIntelligence #Infrastructure #AssetManagement #Sustainability #AEC #NetZero #NetZeroCompare *** At Net Zero Compare, we deliver clear, data-backed insights for decision-makers navigating ESG reporting, net-zero compliance, and clean energy adoption. 🌐 https://netzerocompare.com 📩 Contact us: info@netzerocompare.com 📚 Explore the Academy: https://netzerocompare.com/academy 📰 Read more insights: https://netzerocompare.com/articles

    Hesham Gamal Gaafar on Digital Twins in Smart Cities and Infrastructure: Where the Real Value Comes From
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Interviews + explainers for the energy transition, without the greenwash. Hear from innovators across climate tech and sustainability (battery chemists, hydrogen founders, marine energy, EV charging, carbon markets), then get buyer’s-guide clarity on tools like carbon accounting, ESG monitoring and supply-chain solutions. Straight facts, business outcomes, real-world adoption. 🌐 netzerocompare.com

Information

  • Creator
    Net Zero Compare
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Net Zero Compare
  • Show Website
    Net Zero Compare Podcast