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.
