16-09-2024
A previously reported, a few months ago, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on governments and media to implement a ban on fossil fuel advertising, just as they have done with tobacco advertising.
Now, after two years of work, the city of The Hague has answered that call by passing a groundbreaking local law that bans advertising for fossil fuel products and carbon-intensive services such as cruises and air travel, effective January 1, 2025, including on billboards and bus shelters. This is the first time a city has banned fossil fuel advertising, although many others have tried to do so before.
The rationale for the ban is that fossil fuel advertising continues to undermine climate policy insofar as it normalises and promotes unsustainable behaviour, thus actively undermining current efforts at curbing climate policy.
This raises the uncomfortable question of how can other cities that committed to become climate neutral by 2050 will be able to attain that goal while allowing advertising for products from the fossil industry.
This landmark legislation sends a strong message that local governments are ready to take concrete steps to address the climate crisis and protect their citizens from harmful business influences. As such, this ban is set to act as a potential catalyst for similar actions worldwide, with Toronto in Canada and Graz in Vienna, and will be closely watched.
Based on the experience gained in tobacco control, we may reasonably expect this ban to be challenged in court by one or more fossil fuel companies. This may not only happen at the national level, but also at the international with both investment tribunals as well as the WTO dispute settlement bodies being potentially involved.
The precedent set by The Hague may also opens the door to the adoption of other advertising restrictions beyond fossil fuel, such as on products that contribute to climate breakdown, including meat. That’s what Amsterdam and neighbouring city Haarlem have tried to do but have not made into law.
To know more on the scientific evidence backing the restriction read here.