Amsterdam Bans Meat, Air Travel, and Cruise Ads To Reach Zero-Carbon Goals

People on the streets of Amsterdam will no longer see ads for McDonald’s hamburgers or gas powered cars.Amsterdam is now the first capital city in the world to ban public advertisements it says promote a non-carbon neutral lifestyle.A new ban that went into effect on May 1 includes ads for gas cars, meat products, cruises, and air travel.The city council approved the proposal by the left-wing GreenLeft party and Party for the Animals. Supporters say ads for cars or airlines normalizes and actively encourages carbon intensive behaviors. A GreenLeft politician, Anneke Veenhoff, likens it to promoting a vice to an addict. “If you’re trying to get rid of an addiction, it’s not very handy to see it everywhere,” Ms. Vennhoff said.A series of other Dutch cities, including the Hague, Utrecht, and Delft, have approved similar bans. A court has upheld the Hague’s ban on fossil fuel, airline, and similar ads.The Dutch Meat Association, which has been fighting against advertising bans, says eating meat is being “unfairly pigeonholed.”“Meat is an important source of essential nutrients for all ages and fits perfectly into a healthy and varied diet and lifestyle,” the association said in a release. “Meat therefore holds an important, traditional place in our food culture.”There is a global movement to ban ads that are deemed to be adverse to zero carbon environmental goals. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on every member state to ban advertisements from fossil fuel companies. France passed a ban on some advertising in 2022 but regulations have yet to be published. The group World Without Fossil Ads says among the missing decrees are listing which fossil fuels fall under the advertising ban and how environmental information should be communicated in advertising.Ad bans have some potential legal issues because the right to commercial speech is protected under European law, and it includes advertising. The European Union’s market law, however, allows member states to make regulations restricting these freedoms if they serve the public interest, according to the Human Rights Research Center.Edinburgh, Sheffield, and Portsmouth are among more than 12 United Kingdom councils that have adopted some form of restriction on high carbon advertising, the advocacy group Badverts reports.The Scottish capital city, Edinburgh, bans advertisements and sponsorships for fossil fuel companies, airlines, airports, fossil fuel-powered cars, and cruise ships on council-owned advertising spaces.“The advertising industry has a key role to play in promoting low-carbon behaviors,” Edinburgh’s council said of its ban. “Conversely, the promotion of high-carbon products is incompatible with net zero objectives.”Attempted bans on fossil fuel advertising have not gained traction in the United States, but climate litigation is on the rise. Human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations, and individuals are targeting fossil fuel businesses in American courts, according to the Earth Day organization.

Amsterdam Bans Meat, Air Travel, and Cruise Ads To Reach Zero-Carbon Goals

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