Many countries have restrictions on advertising for alcohol and cigarettes as these products have large negative health impacts. Now, several organisations are making a similar argument about advertising for fossil fuel companies and related high-carbon industries, calling for an outright ban on ads for these products. One of them is the global grassroots citizen movement Advertising Fossil Free.
Inspired by the ban on tobacco ads, Advertising Fossil Free has started the world’s first campaign aimed at prohibiting advertisements for fossil fuels, as well as air, road and water-borne transportation powered by fossil fuels.
Although Advertising Fossil Free currently consists of a small team, they have already had promising results in the Netherlands: The City of Amsterdam has recently banned fossil advertising; Shell can no longer use the term “carbon neutral” and must stop carbon offsetting marketing; and a ban on fossil advertising is in 6 election programmes for the Dutch House of Representatives.
Among other goals in 2022, Advertising Fossil Free aims to make the first Dutch newspaper or broadcaster ban fossil advertising, to make more cities follow the example of Amsterdam and to encourage education, culture, sports, festivals and conferences to keep out fossil sponsors.
Reclame Fossielvrij (Advertising Fossil Free)
Advertising Fossil Free (Reclame Fossielvrij) is a campaign group within the worldwide Fossil Free movement and Fossielvrij NL. They started their campaign for a law that bans fossil ads in the autumn of 2019. The campaign is currently run by five dedicated campaigners.
