Less Talk, More Action

Joel Cesare & Owen Barrett
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Bimonthly

The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future.

  1. Jul 22

    The Death of Net Zero Pledges? What’s REALLY Driving Decarbonization

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel Cesare reflects on the IMN ESG and Decarbonizing Real Estate Forum and argues that the industry is finally shifting from talk and reporting to real action. He contrasts years of data gathering, frameworks, and voluntary net-zero commitments with a new focus on deploying proven technologies like solar, batteries, and energy efficiency upgrades, especially in multifamily real estate. Joel shares quotes and insights from major players like Brookfield, Redaptive, and USGBC California to show how owners and tenants are starting to collaborate around lease renewals and energy cost savings instead of just producing ESG reports. He suggests that while the era of voluntary climate pledges is fading, market forces, falling clean tech costs, rising utility rates, and innovative business models are creating a “decade of doing” that can drive both profitability and meaningful decarbonization. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Welcome to Today’s Solo Episode with Joel (1:02) Data Is Not Going To Decarbonize a Building and Cost of Clean Tech (4:05) Multifamily Solar Adoption and Turning a Corner in Deployment (7:43) Decline of Voluntary Net Zero Commitments and Market Reality Check (8:57) Using Lease Renewals and Tenant–Owner Collaboration for Projects (11:27) Case Studies on Green Leasing, Co‑Investment, and Win‑Win Deals (14:49) Optimism for a “Decade of Doing” and Call To Take Action (16:49) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Jul 15

    The Growth Playbook for Climate Founders: Close More, Preach Less

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen sit down with Chris Jones, founder of Plucky Bamboo, to explore why so many climate and sustainability companies struggle with sales and growth. Chris explains that most founders misdiagnose their problem as needing more leads when the real issue is weak sales processes, unclear value propositions, and overemphasis on environmental impact instead of business outcomes like profit, cost savings, and risk reduction. They discuss the pitfalls of engineer-led and academia-spun startups, the challenge of moving from founder-led sales to scalable sales teams, and practical steps founders can take on “Monday morning” to improve close rates, shorten sales cycles, and decouple growth from the founder being in every room. The conversation also touches on climate communication pitfalls (emotion vs data), product-market fit, and why growth, done right, is not the enemy but the vehicle for real climate impact. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Why Chris Jones Is Different as a Climate Sales Guest (2:00) Data vs Emotion in Climate Arguments (4:48) How Chris Helps Climate Companies: Growth is Impact, not the Enemy (9:15) Close Rates, Sales Cycles, and Fixing Leaky Funnels (11:03) What is a Sales-Qualified Lead vs a Lead? (13:25) Why Engineer and Academia-Led Founders Struggle to Sell (17:32) Chris’s Journey from Games and Theater to Climate Growth Partner (21:08) Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales to a Scalable Sales Team (25:13) Product Market Fit, Hard Truths, and Misaligned “Green” Products (29:48) Stop Selling Your Values and Start Selling Outcomes (32:24) Monday Morning Playbook to Decouple Growth from the Founder (35:51) Why Growth Done Right is Good for Climate (38:44) Why Sustainability Should Be a Minor, not a Major (42:07) Final Thoughts and Takeaways (44:04) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Jul 8

    Everyone Talks Climate But Almost No One Invests In It (Here’s Why)

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen sit down with Leo Young, founder of Cornell Communities, to explore how manufactured housing can meaningfully address America’s affordable housing crisis while still delivering solid returns for investors. They dig into how mobile home parks work as an asset class, why few new communities are being built, and the tension between raising rents, funding major infrastructure upgrades, and staying genuinely affordable. The conversation calls out “impact investors” and sustainability advocates who demand high financial returns but hesitate to back real, on-the-ground solutions—even when minimum investments are as low as $250. They also touch on split incentives that limit sustainability upgrades in resident-owned communities and draw parallels to Tesla’s success in aligning profit with impact. Key takeaways: affordable housing is structurally hard but solvable, incentives drive behavior more than ideals, and real change requires people to move beyond talk and actually put capital at risk. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Why This Real Estate Episode Still Matters for Sustainability Nerds (1:31)   Money Where Your Mouth Is for Climate and Impact (3:23)   How Cornell Communities Revitalizes Manufactured Housing (7:07)   What “Affordable Housing” Really Means for the Average American (8:39)   Are Mobile Home Park Owners Helping or Hurting Affordability? (11:04)   Bridging Affordable Housing Missions and Investor Return Demands (13:31)   Incentives, Infrastructure, and Why Rents Go Up (15:19)   When Solar and Sustainability Pitches Fail With Real Estate Operators (18:56)   The Psychology of Money and Why People Don’t Invest in Impact (21:30)   Why Leo Thinks Manufactured Housing Is a Unique Investment Opportunity (23:03)   Could Amenity-Rich Mobile Home Parks Work for Young Professionals? (26:07)   Split Incentives: Why Sustainability Is Tough in Resident-Owned Communities (28:34)   What Gives Leo Hope: Smart People, Better Incentives, and the Tesla Model (30:12)   The Origin Story of Tesla and Lessons for Climate Solutions (31:45)   How To Connect With Leo and Invest With Cornell Communities (32:05)   The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Jul 1

    Build vs. Buy: Is AI Killing PropTech?

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen dive into the real-world state of clean energy, starting with how the expiring ITC and recent Republican policy moves have unintentionally created a huge tailwind for solar, especially in multifamily housing. They discuss surging electricity prices, Maryland’s aggressive building performance standards, and whether these policies are actually helping or just burdening owners instead of lowering bills. Joel shares insights from building an AI-native platform for utility data and compliance, pushing back on the trend of “vibe coding” in-house tools that are hard to scale and maintain. The conversation then shifts to Stanford students walking out on Sundar Pichai’s commencement speech, which Joel and Owen view as shallow and inconsistent activism. They wrap by comparing Big Tech’s nearly $7B spend on carbon removal to the $1.5T it might take to put solar and storage on every US single-family home, arguing that tackling affordability and distributed clean energy would likely have far greater impact than exotic carbon removal schemes. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Solar Boom, ITC Expiration, and Trump’s Accidental Tailwind (2:03) Maryland Building Performance Standards and Policy Backlash (3:16) Grid Constraints, Texas Permitting, and Interconnection Challenges (10:01) Using AI for Utility Data, Compliance, and Decarbonization Planning (10:25) Build vs Buy, Vibe Coding, and Risks of In-House AI Tools (11:35) Stanford Students Walk Out on Sundar Pichai and Tech Hypocrisy (14:47) Anthropic, Carbon Removal Hype, and Misaligned Climate Priorities (19:42) Could $1.5 Trillion Put Solar and Storage on Every US Home? (21:14) Data Centers, Local Tax Revenue, and Facebook’s Louisiana Example (24:20) Final Thoughts and Takeaways (26:48) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Jun 24

    Stop Hugging Trees, Start Fixing P&L: A New Playbook for Climate Action

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen talk with Maze Works Founder and CEO Milene Pardo Figueroa about shifting sustainability from theory and reporting to real, project-based action. They start by critiquing Anthropic’s big carbon removal investment as greenwashing compared to funding energy efficiency and affordability near data centers. Milene then shares her journey from the UN and NGOs to corporate roles and ultimately founding Maze Works to embed sustainability across finance, HR, marketing, and operations instead of isolating it in a siloed sustainability team. The conversation also explores how jargon and endless frameworks have alienated people, why sustainability roles are shrinking as specialist and project-based work grows, and how honest, provocative LinkedIn content can cut through the noise. Key takeaways: talk sustainability in the language of each department, tie it to ROI and business cases, focus on concrete projects over reports, and don’t be afraid to challenge the climate “industrial complex” in public.  Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Calling Out Anthropic, AI, and Carbon Removal Greenwashing (1:58) Big Tech, Dirty Data Centers, and Energy Affordability Ideas (3:21) Introducing Milene Pardo Figueroa and Maze Works (6:25) Making Sustainability Understandable for Finance, HR, and Marketing (8:39) Why Milene Avoids Reporting Work To Focus on Strategy and Action (11:25) Shrinking Sustainability Teams and Rise of Specialists Like Carbon Accountants (13:16) Rebranding Sustainability in Business Terms Instead of Jargon (15:44) From Project-Based Climate Work To Reporting Obsession and Back Again (20:04) The Climate Industrial Complex and Misaligned Incentives (22:00) Surfing, South Africa, and Working for a “Patagonia of South Africa” Brand (25:38) Building a No‑BS Sustainability Brand on LinkedIn (27:30) Embedding Sustainability KPIs in Finance, Marketing, HR, and Operations (33:46) What Gives Milene Hope: People, Connection, and Networking (36:56) Connecting with Maze Works and Parting Thoughts (37:34) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Jun 17

    Your Home’s Air Is Making You Sick (This Fixes It)

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen talk with 24-year-old HVAC engineer and founder Austin Riesenberger about Swerv, his window-mounted energy recovery ventilator designed to improve indoor air quality without wasting energy. They explore how current climate solutions like “electrify everything,” ductless mini-splits, and LED lighting can unintentionally harm comfort, health, or affordability when implemented without enough empathy or systems thinking. Austin shares his journey from childhood asthma and open-windows-for-fresh-air habits to obsessing over building science, living in the machine shop at Columbia, and bootstrapping Swerv from a student project into a real company. The conversation dives into why CO2 and ventilation matter so much for sleep, cognition, and long-term health, how Swerv complements mini-splits and ERVs rather than replacing them, and what it’s like building climate hardware out of Greentown Labs. Key takeaways: solving climate change must also prioritize human health and household economics, modern homes are often “too tight” without enough fresh air, and there is huge opportunity for practical, hardware-first innovation in HVAC led by mission-driven founders like Austin. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: How Climate Solutions Can Make Life Worse for People (2:05) Introducing Austin Riesenberger and Swerv’s Mission (5:47) What Swerv Is and How It Ventilates Without Wasting Energy (8:01) Austin’s Story: Asthma, Football, and Obsession with HVAC (11:19) Why Personal Projects Matter More than Classroom Learning (15:08) Why Air Purifiers and Mini Splits Aren’t Enough for Healthy Air (20:23) How Swerv Works with Mini Splits to Recover Heat and Humidity (23:49) Using CO2 As an Occupancy Signal and Real‑World Examples (26:51) Why Central ERVs Often Underperform in Bedrooms (29:51) Startup Journey: From Solo Founder to Growing Engineering Team (32:13) ADHD as Both Superpower and Challenge for Founders (35:16) Parenting, Kids’ Health, and Why Indoor Air Hits Home (38:48) What Gives Austin Hope: Young Builders and Greentown Labs Community (42:42) Where to Follow Austin and How to Join the Swerv Beta (44:21) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Jun 10

    These Windows Slash Energy Bills by 90%?!

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen talk with Passive House expert and Wythe Windows co-founder Darren Macri about why windows and airtight building envelopes are critical to cutting building energy use and improving comfort. Darren explains why standard American double-hung windows perform so poorly, and how European-style tilt-turn, triple-pane windows dramatically improve insulation, airtightness, and noise reduction. He walks through the five core Passive House principles, emphasizing airtightness, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and eliminating thermal bridges. The conversation also tackles the confusion homeowners face when trying to build efficient homes, the economics and misconceptions around Passive House, and the massive role buildings play in national emissions. Darren then shares his work on prefab retrofit façade panels inspired by the Dutch EnergieSprong model, supported by NYSERDA, as a pathway to scaling deep retrofits in the U.S. They close on an optimistic note about individual agency: meaningful climate action will come from many people in many sectors pursuing practical solutions like high-performance windows and better building standards. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Why Windows Are Surprisingly Interesting for Decarbonization (1:22)   Rant on AI Pens, Wearables, and Meeting Privacy (3:00)   Introducing Passive House Expert and Wythe Windows Co-Founder Darren Macri (6:52) Why Contractor Insulation Mistakes Matter for Comfort and Bills (9:03) Explaining Window U-Values, Thermal Chambers, and Airtightness (13:07) Five Core Passive House Principles and Why Airtightness Leads (17:29) How Regular Homeowners Can Approach Passive House-Level Performance (21:27) Does Passive House Really Cost More and How to Think About Price (24:00) Bootstrapping Wythe Windows and Designing High-Performance Frames (27:47)   Retrofits, EnergieSprong, and Prefab Facade Panels for Old Buildings (33:03) What Gives Darren Hope and Why Individual Action Still Matters (36:34) Factory Tour Invite, Ways to Follow Wythe Windows, and Episode Wrap-Up (38:57) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Jun 3

    Inside the War on Climate Bureaucracy: Buildings vs. Bullsh*t Frameworks

    In this episode of Less Talk, More Action, Joel and Owen talk with economist and founder Ashley Sarauer about why traditional sustainability and carbon markets are failing to drive real-world decarbonization, and how her company, Ontoly, aims to fix that. They critique the sustainability “industry” for over-regulating and over-reporting while underbuilding, especially around AI, data centers, and grid access for everyday homeowners. Ashley explains how Ontoly turns measured emissions reductions in buildings (mainly fuel switching and efficiency) into high-integrity, premium-priced carbon credits using real utility data, a rigorous 400-page standard, and a software platform that simplifies participation for building owners and buyers. The conversation dives into carbon offsets vs RECs, integrity and fraud in carbon markets, the challenges of financing retrofits, Ashley’s personal journey from government and Vera to entrepreneurship (including an ACL injury that became a turning point), and why she still believes we’re nearing a tipping point for meaningful climate action despite the industry’s current flaws. Highlights from this week’s conversation include: Sustainability Consultants, AI, And Overregulation (1:54) Data Centers vs Homeowners And Barriers To Clean Energy (3:37) Are Data Centers Really That Bad For the Environment (8:31) Introducing Ashley Sarauer And the Ontoly Building Decarb Platform (12:03) RECs vs Carbon Offsets And What Makes A High Integrity Credit (17:50) What Ontoly Actually Does And How the Portal Works (20:08) Do Carbon Credits Really Move the Needle Financially (25:42) Co‑Benefits, Community Impact, And Rating Retrofit Projects (29:51) Purchase Structures, Brokers, And Aggregating Building Portfolios (33:04) Complexity, Carbon Accounting, And Using Software To Hide the Friction (37:33) Ashley’s Founder Story: ACL Injury, Epiphany, And Quitting Vera (40:00) Learning To No‑Code, Building the MVP, And Early Traction In New York (44:22) Fundraising As A Female Founder And the Emotional Roller Coaster (48:57) Why Ashley Still Has Hope: Lessons From the Women’s Rights Movement (49:59) Where To Learn More About Ontoly And Connect With Ashley (51:04) The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future. Learn more and subscribe at lesstalkmoreaction.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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About

The nexus of business, policy, and sustainability is more divided than ever, but Less Talk, More Action is here to cut through the noise. Hosted by clean energy experts Joel Cesare and Owen Barrett, this podcast dives into the front lines of decarbonization, net-zero real estate, and entrepreneurship. Each episode features bold questions, real solutions, and stories from leaders in science, tech, and business who are taking action to make the world a better place. Join us as we move beyond talk and work toward a cleaner, net-zero future.

Information

  • Creator
    Joel Cesare & Owen Barrett
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Less Talk, More Action - All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Less Talk, More Action

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