Cities Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising
Tuesday, 2026/02/24215 words3 minutes674 reads
An increasing number of cities worldwide are eliminating advertisements for high-carbon products such as flights, SUVs, cruise ships, and fossil fuel vehicles from public spaces in an effort to reduce emissions and combat climate change.
The Hague pioneered this movement in 2024 by becoming the first city globally to implement such restrictions through local legislation. Since then, dozens of municipalities have followed suit, including Amsterdam, which became the world's first capital to legally ban fossil fuel advertising and extended restrictions to include meat products.
The advertising sector faces mounting scrutiny for its role in normalizing polluting activities and misrepresenting their environmental impacts. UN Secretary General António Guterres delivered a scathing critique in 2024, condemning climate misinformation propagated by the fossil fuel industry with the complicity of advertising and PR firms. He urged universal prohibition of fossil fuel advertising, a sentiment echoed by the WHO's Maria Neira, who characterized fossil fuels as "the new tobacco."
Research substantiates these concerns. A 2023 scientific advisory paper for Dutch policymakers concluded that fossil fuel advertising normalizes unsustainable behavior and actively undermines climate policy. Evidence from previous advertising restrictions—including tobacco, junk food, and gambling—demonstrates that such bans can effectively shift consumer behavior and reduce harm. However, implementation challenges remain, particularly regarding online advertising regulation and defining precise boundaries for restrictions.
