Welcome to the Black Cat Building Consultancy Podcast – where we dive into all things buildings across the commercial, retail and public sectors.
From project insights and industry trends to client stories and expert advice, we bring you straight-talking conversations with our team and special guests. Whether you're managing property, planning a project or just curious about the built environment, this is your place for practical insight and honest discussion.
Black Cat: We get it done!
Is ESG Dead? Ryan Greensmith on the Future of Sustainability
Has the enthusiasm for ESG faded, or are we finally getting serious about what sustainability can deliver?
Following our Black Cat Lates series, Andy Clow returns with another episode of Black Cat Chat, joined by Black Cat’s ESG Director, Ryan Greensmith, for a conversation about the changing sustainability landscape.
From political uncertainty and public scepticism to increasingly selective business investment, Ryan explores why the ESG conversation has changed and what that means for the property sector.
They discuss the difference between ESG and Sustainability, the commercial realities driving decision-making and why the future of sustainability may depend less on ambitious statements and more on demonstrating genuine value through better buildings, lower operating costs and smarter long-term investment.
There’s also plenty of discussion about the practical challenges facing property owners, from energy performance and decarbonisation to navigating the many regulations and frameworks shaping the industry.
A refreshingly practical and optimistic look at what comes next for sustainability, and why ESG might simply be growing up.
8 Oct 2026
What Makes a Great Surveyor? Experience, Judgement and the Future of the Profession
In the final episode of Black Cat Lates, our panel turns its attention to the profession itself.
From RICS and the APC to CPD, professional standards, the Building Safety Regulator and the lessons the industry continues to learn following Grenfell, it's another candid conversation drawing on decades of experience.
At the heart of the episode is a bigger question: what actually makes someone good at this job?
Qualifications matter. Training matters. But so do experience, judgement, curiosity and continuing to learn throughout your career.
Black Cat Lates has brought together six colleagues with close to 300 years of combined experience across the built environment. Across three episodes, they've shared stories, challenged each other and offered the kind of practical insight that only comes from having spent a lifetime working in the industry.
That depth of expertise is a huge asset to Black Cat – for our clients and for the people developing their careers alongside them.
We're also always looking for more of the industry's best people to join us. That includes experienced professionals who want to get back to what they do best – working with clients, solving difficult problems and practising their profession – without necessarily having to spend their time running increasingly large teams.
Listen to the final episode of Black Cat Lates now.
24 Sept 2026
When Buildings Go Wrong | Courtrooms, Cladding & Fire Safety: Black Cat Lates Episode 02
Episode 2 of Black Cat Lates explores what happens when buildings, contracts and professional judgement are tested.
Andy is joined by experienced Black Cat colleagues to discuss expert witness work, dilapidations, mediation, cladding failures, design and build, site inspections, fire testing and building safety.
There are stories from court, an Amsterdam development where the façade did not fit, and a strong reminder that drawings, reports and regulations can only take you so far. Sometimes, you have to get out of the office and look properly.
“Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted.”
The next and final episode of this mini-series takes the conversation further, with candid debate about Grenfell, the Building Safety Regulator, RICS and the future of professional standards.
Follow Black Cat Chat and listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcast and YouTube - just search Black Cat Chat!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
561
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
11
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
0
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