The Know Daily - Wednesday 17 May 2023

_{Read in 5m 15s ∙ Listening to Janelle Monáe}

Platypuses have been reintroduced into the wild in a national park near Sydney for the first time in 50 years. The iconic Aussie animal disappeared from the park’s waterways following a chemical spill, and scientists hope that their release marks the first step towards ensuring their survival.

🏠 Rental sector reforms

The government will today outline plans to ban landlords from evicting tenants without justification, as part of a long-anticipated shakeup of the private rental sector in England.

What’s the story?
The Renters’ (Reform) Bill promises to ban no-fault evictions - a type of eviction that allows a landlord to remove a tenant without a specific reason, as long as proper notice is given. It would also make it illegal for landlords to refuse tenancies to families with children or people receiving benefits. And the proposals would give tenants the legal right to request a pet in their home.

At the same time, the legislation would make it easier for landlords to evict antisocial tenants, with reduced notice periods for “irresponsible” renters.

Why the change?
Campaigners have long argued that no-fault evictions often take place to enable landlords to increase rents and avoid upkeep and repair. Last year, research by housing charity Shelter found that nearly 230,000 private renters had been served with no-fault eviction notices since April 2019.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove told the BBC that the bill would ensure renters are “protected from the very small minority of rogue landlords who use the threat of no-fault eviction to silence tenants who want to complain about poor conditions".

How has the bill been received?
While many housing campaigners have welcomed the bill, others have pointed out that there is nothing in the legislation banning “huge and unfair” rent increases. “A 20% rent hike is simply a no-fault eviction under a different name,” said a spokesperson from the London Renters Union.

There are concerns among some Conservative MPs that the bill could force more landlords to sell up and reduce the supply of rental properties available, The Telegraph has reported.

Which? has put together a handy guide to the new legislation - check it out here. If you have thoughts on the new proposals, hit reply to let us know.

🍃 Getting a grip on greenwashing

The UK’s advertising watchdog will begin cracking down on companies’ use of terms such as “carbon neutral” and “net zero” amid concerns over the effectiveness of carbon offsetting.

What’s the story?
Ads which claim that products are carbon neutral due to offsets are to be banned unless companies can prove they really work, The Guardian has reported this week. The crackdown will come into force later this year and follows a six-month review by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The news arrives as worries mount that firms are misleading consumers about the environmental impact of their products. Earlier this year, the ASA banned ads by airlines Lufthansa and Etihad over their green claims.

What exactly is carbon offsetting?
Carbon offset schemes allow individuals and companies to invest in environmental projects - such as clean energy technology or tree planting - in order to reduce their carbon footprint.

Companies typically pay other entities to reduce emissions on their behalf, and then count these emission reductions towards their climate targets. These reductions are first verified for accuracy by a third party.

Does it work?
The ethics and efficacy of carbon offsetting is much-debated, and scepticism over the practice has been growing in recent months. In January, an investigation found that the rainforest protection carbon offsets approved by the world’s leading certifier, Verra, are largely worthless.

And last week, lawmakers in the European Parliament agreed to push for a ban on businesses which claim their products are carbon neutral thanks to offsetting schemes, amid concerns that the programmes are inefficient.

So how can I know if a product is actually green?
It’s pretty difficult to ever be truly sure of a company’s green credentials. Nevertheless, those which are certified B Corps have been found to meet high standards of social and environmental responsibility. And while B Corps certainly aren’t immune from criticism, they may be a worthwhile place to start.

🛳️ The real Titanic: The first full-sized digital scans of the Titanic have revealed the world’s most famous shipwreck as it has never been seen before. 3D images of the entire ship were created using deep-sea mapping, which took more than 700,000 images from every angle.

💸 Cost of living: Eleven million Brits are struggling to pay their bills, with debts soaring to nearly 11 million, according to new figures. The BBC has some helpful advice for people who can’t afford to pay their debts.

😴 The power of tiredness: One of the main reasons why people don’t lead a healthier lifestyle is because they are too tired, a new YouGov poll has found. Women were more likely to cite fatigue as a barrier to them eating more healthily and exercising more often.

🚌 Bus fares: The £2 cap in England, which was brought in as a temporary measure last year, has been extended until the end of October after the government provided another £500m of funding.

🏆 Meghan Markle: The Duchess of Sussex accepted the Women of Vision Award for her life-long advocacy for women and girls at a gala in New York last night. Prince Harry joined his wife at the ceremony.

Trivia answer: B) A crisp packet from the 1960s - one beach walker discovered a heap of decades-old litter, including sweet wrappers. Do any of the finds spark a trip down memory lane for you?

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