Dutch city bans advertising for airlines and fossil fuels to tackle climate change

Advertising laws in the EU are moving against promoting long-haul flights and products depending on fossil fuels. Photo / Zbynek Burival, Unsplash

A Dutch city has announced its latest tactic for tackling climate change: banning advertisements for air travel.

Haarlem, in the northwest Netherlands, will prohibit adverts for holiday flights as well as non-electric cars and fossil fuels in 2024.

It will become the first city in the world to totally ban holiday flight advertisements in public places.

Once enforced, ads for fossil fuel-related products and services will no longer be shown on public screens, shelters or buses.

The city will also become the first in the world to ban advertising for meat.

Due to existing advertising, the ban will be enforced in 2024 and follows a similar tactic adopted by its larger neighbour, Amsterdam.

In 2021, the Amsterdam metro system became the first to ban adverts for high-carbon products and services like flights and fossil-fuelled cars in the Dutch capital.

Banning fossil fuel adverts

Around the world, other countries have introduced similar bans on adverts for high-carbon products.

France announced a ban on advertising fossil fuel-related products and services last month. The ban includes petrol and diesel however, Greenpeace described it as political greenwashing and claimed it wasn't significant enough.

Motions for similar bans have been held in the UK, Australia, Canada and the EU.

The UK's Green party had an official policy in 2020 that they would campaign to ban "high carbon" goods such as long-haul flights.

Meanwhile, a petition to the European Commission by an organisation called Ban Fossil Fuel Ads has received almost 305,000 signatures.

The organisation, which consists of several grassroots and non-profit organisations, aims "legally prevent the fossil fuel industry, and vehicle, airline and maritime companies who use fossil fuels, from advertising and sponsoring in the EU".