Net zero sounds simple in press releases, but within real organisations, it becomes far more complex.Reporting cycles absorb time, voluntary targets lose momentum, and teams often end up counting carbon instead of cutting it.In this episode of Quick Cuts, Ben Muwoki sits down with Joel Cesare, who has lived net zero from almost every angle. He helped deliver Santa Monica’s net zero ordinance, led sustainability at Skanska, and ran Google’s Absolute Zero program before joining the executive team at Cambio.Joel shares a candid, grounded view on why net zero often breaks down in the messy middle between ambition and delivery, and why real progress depends on focusing on the operational decisions you can control. Most conversations about net zero focus on targets, frameworks, and reporting. Joel focuses on what actually gets built.In this episode, we cover:Why voluntary net-zero targets struggle once they meet organisational realityHow the reporting season has overtaken action and slowed decarbonisationWhy teams should prioritise the emissions they directly influenceThe cost of chasing offsets instead of investing in local outcomesWhat cities can do that genuinely improves resilience, affordability, and public healthWhy language matters and why “climate” may not be the most effective frame for progressHow AI is uncovering energy reductions hiding in plain sight across commercial real estateAbout Joel CesareJoel is a sustainability leader with two decades of experience across city government, construction, and big tech real estate. He helped push forward Santa Monica’s net-zero building ordinance, led sustainability at Skanska, and ran Google’s portfolio-wide Absolute Zero program. He now sits on the executive team at Cambio, helping organisations identify energy efficiency projects using AI. Joel also hosts the podcast Less Talk More Action.Watch this if you are:A sustainability or ESG leader navigating net-zero deliveryA real estate or facilities executive trying to translate targets into actionA policymaker interested in the gap between regulation and implementationA climate tech or energy professional working on practical decarbonisation solutionsAnyone who feels net zero has become more complicated than it needs to beThe Climate Gap is powered by Element Six. Element Six specializes in addressing talent challenges across the built environment and climate technology sectors. Partnering with technology vendors and solutions providers delivering decarbonization solutions, helping them find the leaders and teams they need to scale.Decarbonizing the built environment takes bold ideas and brilliant people. Element Six brings them together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.